I admit it. I’m addicted to my Samsung Galaxy S4. It’s probably to the point where it’s unhealthy. If you’re anything like me you might be starting to notice some of these symptoms so don’t worry, I’ve come up with the biggest signs you need to lay off of your smartphone and some solutions (which I myself have implemented in the last week). And believe me, these are only about half of the signs and solutions I came up with. I really like my phone.
Headaches
I get headaches all the time. Yes, it’s partially because I am an incredibly stressed individual, but I have a theory it’s also because I spend too much time squinting at the screen of my phone and holding it so close to my face.
The Solution: So, for this week, I will be keeping my phone at arm’s length and cutting down screen time by not using it while I’m walking. I have a tendency to look at Twitter while I’m walking around campus, and I have a feeling that’s probably bad. So, here we go. No phone use while in motion and holding the phone at arm’s length at all times.
Phone Use During Class
This week is finals week so this isn’t as much of an issue as usual. However, I usually put my phone in my bag and forget to turn it off so when it vibrates during the final, I ignore it but then I’m also distracted for the rest of the test.
The Solution: Before every final this week I’m going to turn off my phone completely. AND I’m going to have phone-free study time every day from 7pm-8pm.
Overheating
Overheating is a common occurrence with my phone. Partially because I use it too much and partially because it’s always on my person—in my back pocket, tucked in the waistband of my yoga pants, in my hand, etc.
The Solution: This week when travelling from place to place, I will put my phone in my bag. This will also help me in not using it while in motion.
Never Turning it Off
I guess I can’t really say my phone sleeps next to me at night since I never actually turn it off. So it lays next to me at night I guess? It’s pretty common knowledge that turning off your phone on a regular basis is good for it. It’s also pretty common that pretty much no one does unless it dies or it’s malfunctioning. That’s no good.
The Solution: I’ve already packed my alarm clock and sent it back to my house so I do need to keep my phone on overnight this week. BUT I do plan on turning my phone off overnight starting this summer. For this week, I’m going to stick with turning it off during my phone-free study hour from 7pm-8pm.
Separation Anxiety
I actually have separation anxiety from my phone. When I don’t have it with me it’s like I feel naked. For my job last summer, I had to go to beaches and take water samples (by going waist deep into the water) and when I would go out without my phone I felt genuine anxiety. It’s super unhealthy. I also sleep with my phone. Don’t laugh I know you do it too. This has to be psychologically unhealthy on so many levels.
The Solution: I hereby vow that unless I’m leaving for 15 minutes or more I will leave my phone. Example: If I need to go to the bathroom, I do not need to take my phone. But, if I’m going to take a shower, I do need my phone because Pandora, duh. Also, I promise not to sleep with my phone so maybe I won’t spend 30 minutes before bed and when I wake up scrolling through social media.
Smartphone Pinky
This is really a thing and I am suffering from it. It happens when you support the bottom of your phone with your pinky. The result is this:
Now my pinky has a natural curve to it, but trust me, not that bad. I really want to know if it’s deforming my bone slowly because if it is that would be a cool injury for them to find on Bones. Brennan would be so confused.
The Solution: Don’t support my phone with that pinky. Duh.
Using the Phone While with Others
This is one of my biggest pet peeves but I totally am guilty of it. You know what I’m talking about, you’re in the middle of a conversation with someone and you whip out your phone and start texting someone else or browsing Facebook. This especially bugs me when I’m out to dinner with someone. Like seriously? We spend so much time living in our phones, why can’t we just live in the moment and be with the people we’re with…in real life not on Facebook?
The Solution: First, simply don’t use the dang phone when you’re talking to someone else. The second solution I have is my favorite. I went to dinner with my little sisters a while back and they kept getting in their iThings looking for WiFi. I was going bonkers. BUT, they were also ragging on me for texting my boyfriend the whole time. My solution was that we all put our electronics in a pile at the end of the table and made a slap bet: The first to reach for their phone gets slapped by the two that don’t. No one reached for their phones. Another way to do that is to have the loser pay but that wasn’t going to work with my elementary-aged sisters.
The Outcome
I totally failed. I’m sad to say that I was HORRIBLE at following the rules I set for myself. I made it one night of not having my phone in the bed with me. I kept my phone in my pocket always (which made it overheat of course since it’s been 80°) and used it when walking places because I didn’t factor in the fact that I use my phone to distract me when I don’t feel like talking to people. My phone-free study time didn’t happen so my phone never got turned off. And I continued taking my phone with me everywhere and supported it with my pinky (I think my pinky’s on track to be the inspiration for that Bones episode injury). Maybe the only thing I succeeded with was keeping my phone at a decent distance from my face (yes I had less headaches). HOWEVER I’m not giving up! Summer’s coming and I want to live in the moment. Sure, I’ll have my phone with me but I need it to take pictures. I’m going to turn off my phone every night, I’m not going to sleep with it, and I’m not going to use it when talking to people. Don’t let your phone distract you from your life. Yes, you may be in a very serious and maybe toxic relationship with your smartphone like me but it’s time to break up! Happy Summer everyone!