I was recently in the hospital waiting room with 12 other people. Do you know how many of these people had their head down on their mobile phones for pretty much the whole duration? 10 out of 12! I have seen similar numbers in airports too. It is not just the young either. The older generation have also managed to pick up this habit of constantly checking their phones.
Other observations of people on their phones
I have seen people step out into traffic whilst looking down on their phones
I have been walked into on many occasions by someone not looking where they are going
I have seen people walk into lamp and sign posts
I have seen people in the same room texting each other
I see many people using their phone whilst driving
I know people who have dropped their phone down the toilet whilst using it. I just hope it was only for texting purposes, and not snapchat!
These are not one-off events. They are extremely common, and I would anticipate that each of my readers also knows of one or more events similar to the above examples.
YOU ARE ON YOUR PHONE TOO MUCH
There is so much of the world that is being missed because we have our faces stuck to screens. Heck, our phones are even killing us. People are dying from taking dangerous selfies. Selfie related injuries and deaths
We are not living life. I have been to concerts where people video the entire show from their phone. How much enjoyment can you really get from watching from behind a screen? Enjoy the live experience and don’t miss anything – put your phone down.
We even check our phones for no apparent reason sometimes out of habit.
Why is being on our phones a bad thing?
A little is never bad. Everything in moderation, right? The problem is when our lives are spent on our phones. Think there is no problem? Try spending a day without your phone. When we are taking our phones to the toilets we have issues! Hearing phantom vibrations? Issues! Sleeping next to your phone? Issues!
Why are we constantly checking our phones? What miraculous thing do we think we will see or hear? Do we think we may miss out on some amazing thing? Well we are missing out. Not on something in our phone though, but the real world.
Smartphone addiction is real and can lead to death, depression, relationship break ups and did I say death?
Regular cell phone users also tend to have shorter attention spa….. Where was I? Oh yes, regular cell phone users also tend to have shorter attention spans.
If you are going out for dinner with friends. Be present in the moment. Not stuck on the phone. Pay attention to your wife or husband.
How does regular cell phone use affect my finances?
Regular users are less productive. Every time we check our phone it means we are unable to do something else more productive. Constant cell phone use could be preventing us from making better use of our time and earning more money. Making more networks. Learning more from books. Doing more leisure activities. Getting more sleep. Even quiet time reflecting would be more valuable. We could be doing so much more with our time.
Imagine all those extra hours you would free up? You could really build up some valuable knowledge, skills or experiences in that time. You could become a much healthier person with more time for sport and exercise. You can also build much more meaningful relationships. Leading to greater health, wealth and happiness.
So, would you rather be that better version of yourself or find out what your friend ate for dinner?
Cell phone rant summary
Life is too short to miss out on the happenings in the real world. With our eyes down on our phones we won’t see much. We won’t ever have a random conversation with a stranger. We won’t ever be able to chuckle at that person who stumbles over a kerb and then pretends to run gracefully. We miss out on random smiles from people in the street. We won’t see that $20 note on the ground. We won’t be able to see that old lady on the street that needs a hand to cross the road.
I admit, I have problems too! I have received several emails whilst typing this article, and I checked my phone each time. They all could have waited but I felt compelled to look at them. This is the same compulsion that causes many to look at their phones when driving.
Much to my wife’s dismay, I also struggle to leave my work at work. I have a bad tendency to work from my phone at night, weekends, and on holidays. This isn’t fair on her.
Please don’t let your cell phone use result in death or a life of looking down. Your time on earth is too precious, so start living your own life instead of watching other peoples through a phone. Your quality of life will suffer in one way or another from high cell phone use.
Free yourself from your cell!
The information contained on this site is the opinion of the individual author(s) based on their personal opinions, observation, research, and years of experience. The information offered by this website is general education only and is not meant to be taken as individualised financial advice, legal advice, tax advice, or any other kind of advice. You can read more of my disclaimer here
Comment below…What experiences do you have with cell phone overuse? Any accidents or near misses? Count how many times you check your phone in a day and let me know. Try a 3-day experience without your phone and let me know your findings. Were you more productive? Did you notice more?