Okay, so you’ve realized that this technology that is apparently so “magical” and “irresistible” is really just a tool to sell you things, and to sell you. Along the way, it just makes you more anxious, more disconnected, and worse with directions.
What do you do now?
I recognize that many of you are not interested in giving up your smartphone. But maybe you’re interested in reducing your smartphone usage. Maybe, you want to be more present in your life, or find a way out of the hole that is your social media feed. Maybe you want to feel good in real life, not just on Instagram. Maybe you know that you want to make a change.
Well, I’m here for you. Here’s the first step to figuring out what change can be made that feels authentic to you.
What do you already know?
Chances are, before we even get started, you’ve got something in mind.
Maybe it’s Facebook, endlessly scrolling through your first-grade teacher’s and distant cousins’ political ramblings, and getting into flame wars with GIFs.
Maybe it’s Instagram, where everyone is beautiful and has a perfect life, and it makes you feel miserable.
Maybe it’s the news, and how having access to breaking headlines on you everywhere you go makes you want to put your head in an oven.
Maybe it’s Tik Tok, or Pokemon Go, or whatever the latest fad game is.
Maybe it’s none of these things, but it’s something that you know that you have a problem with.
Make a note of it.
What makes you feel bad?
If nothing specific comes up, here’s another exercise to try:
When you’re using your phone, what makes you sad, angry, lonely, envious, or jealous, or any other emotion that you wouldn’t willingly engage in with any other situation?
Make a note of it.
What do you spend your time on?
So much of technology usage is unintentional. No one sets out to use their phone for a quarter of their waking hours each day. But this is just what many of us do, according to a recent study.
So what I would invite you to do is make the invisible visible.
During a given day, every time you open an app, no matter for how long, make a note of it. List all of the apps that you use.
Don’t worry about counting how much time you spend on each app. That’s for another time. We’re just identifying targets here.
Attack and defense
You see what we’re doing here: the first step is to compile a list of what apps you use, which ones are top of mind, and which ones are the most intrusive.
You need to know what you’re up against before you can develop a plan of attack. Or more accurately, a plan of defense.
Remember that the companies behind these apps are powerful and wealthy, and they know if they lose your attention that their business is sunk. You are the product after all.
So we need to take this one step at a time. Figure out what you use right now. Figure our where they’ve got you.
The next step after that is to make some behavioral changes. Which is harder, and another topic.
Making the invisible visible and the unintentional intentional is what’s important here, and just doing this exercise may help you on the path toward a better and more healthy relationship with technology.
And therefore, potentially, a more healthy and fulfilled life.
