The effect of massive cellphone use is more severe than we think. Researchers have made connections between over usage on smartphones and reduced memory, shortened attention span and reduce cognitive abilities. This 24-hour challenge has been surprisingly difficult and enlightening as a young student. I found that the time spent away from a smartphone put me in a new perspective not only regarding phone use but also plans of the semester. Constant connectivity has taken away the time we spend with ourselves.
I started my challenge before I went to bed on a Friday night, which is usually the night that I stay up the latest and the first thing that I notice is my ability to fall asleep. Phone use before bed has been a part of my routine for a long time now, especially because of my long-distance relationship with my partner. As I reflected upon the exercise, I concluded that my plans for turning off my phone have given me peace of mind; that I don’t have to check my phone for the next 24 hours which made me sleep better. But on the other hand, I was extremely bored starting the next morning.
Waking up to a full night of sleep without any alarms was invigorating, but the habitual checking of the phone was met with the disappointment of a black screen. And that was when my mindset had to change. I had to plan my day around not having a smartphone, which was honestly made easier with a laptop. But still, we often underappreciate the convenience of having these incredible technologies at the tips of our fingers. Things like ordering food, gGPS, and online shopping aside, our ability to connect with friends and family have been deeply intertwined with our phones. Even though I’ve suffered the fidgeting effects of a cellphone cleanse, I felt that I had more time in the day than usual. I was able to utilize and effectively use that time on schoolwork as well as self-work, physically and mentally. I was less distracted from just doing whatever I am doing. This was great for a weekend day where we might not have as much to do and all we had to deal with was boredom, but I feel that daily life without my phone might cause problems logistically speaking. Perhaps less multitasking is better for the quality of activities whether it be work or leisure.
The society that we live in now demands us to be everywhere at once. Smartphones might provide a major benefit regarding connectivity, convenience, and efficiency, but has it changed us for the better or left us more fragmented and with less meaning? We always talk about smartphones as one of the main points of problems in our lives, but I never actually had the experience until this exercise. The time I spent away from my smartphone was a struggle but also enlightening. When using technology, we often focus optimistically on all the things it does for us. But where might it do the opposite, taking away our human abilities?