Technology has been given to us as a tool to improve our lives and stay connected with literally everyone whenever we feel like it. But the sad reality is this… Humanity has never ever felt more disconnected than now.
Take smartphones for example. Sit in a café and try to find at least 5 people that are not looking at their phones. Come on, I dare you. You can’t do it, can you?
That is because we are addicted to our phones as if they are the water and the air that we breathe. We think that posting that new photo of us or commenting on our friend’s new post will keep us connected to the people that we love, but we are mistaken. The more we spend our energy and time on technology, the more detached we are from the real world and the real relationships.
We are getting more and more disconnected by the day and the scariest part is… we fail to notice it!
What’s even more alarming is that science also proved it!
A new study has confirmed that if we remain plugged into our phones while we are spending time with someone, it is likely that our time spent together will be less fulfilling than it could have been if we were present.
Researchers explored the effects that technology and our smartphones have on us by conducting an experiment with the students from the University of Virginia. They took the students out for lunch with their friends. One-half of the participants were asked to put their phones on vibration but keep them on the table and the other half were asked to put their phone in a container. The results showed that the ones who had their phones taken away from them enjoyed their dinner more than the ones who had their phone on silent.
But they didn’t stop at that. The researchers also surveyed 120 university students five times a day for a week and they analyzed their face-to-face interactions. What they found was that students who didn’t use their phones so much felt less distracted, more engaged with their friends and actually enjoyed interacting with other people.
The truth is, smartphones can have a really powerful impact on your life and your relationship and in a negative way! Just think of how much alerts, buzzing sounds, calls, messages, and notifications you receive through the day. Now think of how many hours you usually spend reviewing all of them. Probably too many, right? Well, those cannot be returned. Ever.
So, here’s what. Why don’t you stop allowing your phone to distract you from your real life by putting it down and turning it off for a while? Sit down and ask yourself what you want to do with your life.
Do you want to spend all of your spare time scrolling t through your feed and liking/hating people’s posts? Or you want to focus on your real-life and pay attention to the people sitting right across from you?
Real-life is outside of social media. Real-life is among the people that you love. It is out there waiting for you. All you have to do is log off and enjoy the present moment.
Can you do that?
A professional writer with many years of experience in the fields of psychology, human relationships, science, and spirituality. If you have a general question or comment please fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible https://curiousmindmagazine.com/contact-us/
