This topic from Hive Learners Table really hit home hard for me. Like, you know the timing of this prompt is somehow perfect, because for the past two days now, I have actually been asking myself this exact question, “Can I really stay without my phone for even an hour?" I just have been pushing the thought aside since, but seeing the topic just reminded me how serious it is, lol…. I'm telling you it's a serious something.
So, every time I wake up from sleep, the first thing my hands finds is my phone. This isn't a joke ,or a sugar coating of words , I mean before I even say “thank You Jesus,” I have already tapped the phone screen , sometimes, it is just to check the time, but once the screen lights up, next thing is I am checking Hive, Telegram, WhatsApp, and before I know it, 20 minutes has passed, And I haven't even prayed or stood up from the bed, meeehnn…. It's not a good thing at all, and this is what I have been telling myself for a while now
I started noticing this habit, and I had to tell myself the truth, this thing does not make sense at all , so what I started doing recently is, once I open my eyes and my brain is active, I just mentally remind myself that “Don’t touch that phone yet o.” Then I drop it, I say a short prayer, I stand up, go to the bathroom, ease myself, brush my teeth... I just basically start my morning like a normal human being before coming back to my phone.
See honestly, it is not up to one hour without my phone, but it is actually a start, and I am proud of that ,Because at least I am now conscious of how glued I have become to my phone,That awareness alone is something at least.
So apart from when I am asleep, the only other time you will see me without my phone is when my phone spoils ,lol… life … and even that one is painful. Like, the day your phone is not working is the day you remember how long a day truly is , I am telling you, lol…One hour will start feeling like five hours ,And you will just be checking the time and walking up and down. It's funny but true.
This phone life ehn, it has really taken over everything ,From morning till night, we are scrolling, chatting, posting, replying, engaging... even when we go out, people will sit together but everyone is pressing phone. Nobody is really present again that's how bad it has become.
I remember those days when we used to visit friends and gist from morning till night, I mean those time we were in secondary school, we will play games, laugh, cook together, even just sit in silence and enjoy each others company, Now, even if you go visit someone, after five minutes both of you will just be on your phones, maybe the person will show you one funny TikTok video , then you will show them something else, and before you know it, nobody’s talking again, like… it's has become this bad .
It’s not like phones are evil or something, because truth be told, they have actually made life easier ,you can work online, connect with people, earn money, learn skills, entertain yourself all from your phone, But the problem is that we do not know how to control it anymore. It is like the phone is the one controlling us now.
Sometimes I ask myself, “What if NEPA just takes light for one week and no generator or data? What will I do with myself?” That kind of question can give you small headache because it shows how dependent we have actually become on the whole phone thing.
I think what I am learning now is to be intentional, I don’t have to throw away my phone or do digital detox if there's a thing like that ,lol.(that one sef I’m not ready for yet),lol…. but I can start by reducing how much I use it in the morning, or how often I check it when I am supposed to be doing something important. Like when I am writing or reading or cooking, I try not to carry my phone everywhere , I think that's okay to do.
And I’ve realised that in those short moments where I am not holding my phone, I actually enjoy the silence. I think better. My brain calms down. I feel better without the light of the phone and all.
So yes, it’s true our reliance on phones is getting out of hand. But it doesn’t mean we cannot do something to fix it, We just have to be more aware, more deliberate, and just take baby steps. Like leaving the phone for 10–15 minutes in the morning. Or setting screen time reminders you get?.
Me, I am still learning. I am not perfect at it, but at least I have started this small way and that is something.
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