You sleep next to it. You love holding it. It never leaves your side. If you’re anything like me, you know I’m not referring to a puppy or a boyfriend, but a cell phone.
I was always very close with my phones, even when I was stuck with an old flip phone (t9, anyone?) or went through a rough patch with an LG NV Touch. Since converting to an iPhone, however, I’ve found true love.
This may sound like an exaggeration–or disturbingly true–but I’m actually not being hyperbolic. Author and researcher Martin Lindstrom conducted an MRI study to see if people were addicted to their phones. He exposed them to videos and sounds of vibrating phones, and noted which areas of the brain were activated. Surprisingly, the subjects did not respond with the “brain-based signs of addiction,” he wrote in the New York Times. Instead, their brains responded the way they would “to the presence or proximity of a girlfriend, boyfriend or family member.” In short, the people actually did love their phones.
Though this is a bit weird on the surface, perhaps we really love our phones because they keep us connected with those we care about. After all, though my heart does leap a little when I feel a vibration in my pocket, if it turns out to just be a junk email, the feeling fades. I don’t look at my phone periodically to admire its sleek design or shiny screen, I check to see whether anyone I love is trying to contact me.
The danger with the ever-accessible communication, though, is that it can take the place of real interactions. A conversation via texting should not, wherever possible, replace one in person. Likewise, though it can be difficult, it is important to separate yourself from your phone while you are interacting with someone face to face. Not to sound like my mother, but it is rude to be focusing on something else during a conversation, and this has become increasingly accepted with our generation.
So especially around the holidays, I sometimes enjoy leaving my phone in the car when we are visiting family, or in my room when we have guests. It can be tricky, and yes, sometimes I may need to sneak away for a “quickie”–a glance at my inbox or Facebook notifications. But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Give it a try! Your phone won’t miss you, of course, but maybe you’ll appreciate it just a little bit more after a break.