The Phone...

Our phones, our lifelines, literally!

The phone is like a second skin to some people, the thought of not having it on their person is incomprehensible and unacceptable. It is unimaginable to think we were without this device a few short years ago.

Sadly, only a few people have an ongoing battle with the phone being the center of their lives. I am doing my best not to be too attached. Again that is easy to do because I work with someone who is understanding; it is okay to forget the phone at home, and not move heaven and earth to get it on account of work. It is also okay to have it off and be unreachable sometimes.

We cannot afford to lose the human touch, physical relationships and our connection to the real world. But sadly, that is what is happening; we forget to call and actually speak with people on their birthdays and anniversaries. As long as we send a an online message and post photos, our 'duty' is done. The social media dance is now the in thing.

This torrid affair doesn’t stop even when we are with other people socially. Oh, it is worse when we are alone at events. We dive into the phone when we are bored, alone, shy, embarrassed or just don’t want to talk to other people. Sometimes we pretend to be on a call (Oh, I do that too) just so we are not forced to confront our ‘aloneness’ at events, or be forced to speak to other people. I keep wondering, what did we do when we didn’t have this 'life companion?'

So one of the things I am learning to do is put it out of sight when I am with people. And that if I do end up alone at an event, not to make it my +1. So that I can try to create an interest in the event itself or the just observe the goings-on; initiate a conversation with the next person, that is, if they are not engrossed with their own phones!

Now I also put the phone away when I am driving since I almost ran into the car in front of me a few weeks ago because I was trying to take a call. The after-effect of that near-miss is not something I wish to experience ever again. Imagine if it wasn’t a near-miss...

As people get away to de-stress and reboot, learning to consciously stay away from the phone is a habit that needs to be cultivated. I give advance notice to all my stakeholders, and off goes the phone, for an hour or two, or a day, as is appropriate. You will be surprised that there will be no fire, and no one would have died on account of the fact that you were unreachable. That should teach us to think we are indispensable.

Think about it in another way, you would have had time to do those things that doesn’t involve the phone (maybe not a lot, but still). And if you then you find that you actually have no life outside of it, perhaps it is time to create something worthwhile?

Be free oh!

Photo credits: Google Images