Yes, I'm Addicted to My Phone
And you probably are too. So let's figure out how to make them as safe and efficient as possible already. And get on with living our lives.
Um, excuse me? Can’t you see that I’m in the middle of an important conversation?
Happy Saturday!
Today, we’re talking phones! Got one?
While I didn’t get my first cell phone until I was 21, my phone addiction started pretty early- apparently, around three. I want to say *I remember* the above picture being taken - but it’s more like I remember the vibe of this picture and how that yellow wall phone with its 85-foot cord could stretch to the next county and was a very important fixture in our family. The long cord easily reached the kitchen table, allowing my dad to take medical calls during dinner. My sister Patty tells me it was her job to answer those calls and hand off the phone as necessary.
Since I was around three years old, I was off the hook for phone duty, but I obviously wasn’t shy when it came to using it. (Later, I’d figure out that we had two phone lines - our home line and my dad’s medical line -so I could easily go to a different part of the house and prank my mom. Good ole’ pre-caller ID fun.)
Flash forward to a few years later, and our family moved to a new house. I had just turned ten, and with my new room came… my very own phone. Looking back, I’m like, “I got a phone when I was ten?” I honestly think my parents got me one to go with the office vibe I had created. I mean, I also had a typewriter. (Can you spot it?)
At any rate, the phone was my definition of officially “making it.”
And probably the start of my current phone addiction, which I’m not even going to pretend to deny.
Yes, I know we should all reduce our screen time, but let’s face the facts:
phones are pretty incredible with all they can do for us
like it or not, we need them
With that said, I took a minute to consider the positive ways my phone helps me:
My phone gives me a sense of security- whether it’s simply having my phone with me, ready to alert the hounds, or using it as a surveillance device, it helps me feel safer when traveling or doing my business. For example, while out of town recently, I checked into a hotel at ten p..m. (hot tip, not recommended). While my room felt perfectly safe the next morning, getting there late at night made me feel like I was about to be the star of a Dateline special. Therefore, I FaceTimed my husband as I walked into the room and made him stay with me as I checked the shower, under the beds, etc. (I did this for security reasons, but also thought the video could possibly be used to help capture my murderer, who I was sure was waiting inside.) With all clear, I hung up and slept a bit better.
It gives me peace of mind - for example while traveling, I always share my location with my husband or someone at home. This connection to Mission Control is helpful if I get lost, and it adds an extra layer of protection. Always nice for someone to know your whereabouts when traveling.