I had a dentist appointment for my younger son few days back. While we were waiting for our turn, my son asked me a question which left me thinking “Mamma, why are all the parents busy with their phones?”
Smartphones have become a constant companion for almost everyone these days. Ever wondered why? In a study conducted by the Pew Research Centre nearly 50% of the adults stated, “they couldn’t live without their phones”. According to researchers’ humans are wired to connect with others and smartphones makes this easier, at least in giving mental comfort. In earlier days close relationships with small network of family and friends which used to be based on trust and co-operation was easier. This could be possible as people used to disclose personal information about themselves and were responsive to others. These days Smartphones provide the immediate and constant access to messaging, easier to disclose personal information with instant access to social media. The give us the comfort of being easily accessible all the time. First thing people check in the morning is our phones. We do make sure to carry our phone before stepping out of the house.
People feel the need for other’s validation/likes as soon as something is posted on social media.
In another study (of over 3000 people using smartphones) nearly 82 percent reported frequent disturbance on in person interactions by virtue of the phones” (source-Internet). We all have experienced the frustration when trying to tell something important to someone who is fully engrossed in his screen. In fact, many a times, we have also behaved in this manner as well. These moments can lead to the person feeling unimportant, ignored, annoyed etc. It also affects our relationship with the other person knowingly or unknowingly.
The best present we can give someone is to BE PRESENT (in the moment with them) when they want to share something with us.
The outcome of the above studies can be summarised in the below line:
“WHEN THE PHONE WAS TIED WITH A WIRE HUMANS WERE FREE”
Excessive use of smartphones can consume users time and engage for a considerable amount of time without any value add. Smartphones, if not used smartly, can result in getting lost in the technology mindlessly.
- Social connections are very important and good for us. In fact, they outsmart the smartphones any given day.
- The quality of close relationships is very important for our life.
- Good relationships protect our brains-we just have to make an effort in investing in the relationships we value or where we are being valued.
The amount of time we spend on our phones if only we are able to spend on our relationships the outcome would be totally different and have a positive impact on our lives.
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