_Cela is a sophomore journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about daily life for The Maneater._
These days, it seems as though it’s a student, their laptop and their phone against the world (i.e. online classes). For students and people in general, their phone is probably their most important and valuable possession. It has their whole life: contacts, social media, emails, pictures, calendar and games, all in the palm of their hands.
Now that class is back in session, it’s easy to sit in a Zoom meeting with the camera off and muted, paying attention to a phone and losing concentration. Social media in particular acts as a mindless crutch and easy way to occupy the mind.
Every week, iPhones provide a weekly breakdown of the user’s screen time, and it can be frightening to see and realize how much time is spent on a screen. The first week of school, my phone screen time was an average of seven hours and 15 minutes, excluding the screen time spent on my computer. It was shocking and embarrassing, to say the least, but I know I’m not alone.
Amid the pandemic, many people turned to their smartphones as an outlet to the outside world and to supplement other activities. Seventy six % of internet users aged between 16 and 64 surveyed said they spent more time on their phone due to coronavirus lockdowns. People are spending more time on their phones, and more people are getting phones. Insider Intelligence found the average user will spend just under four hours on their mobile device.
Where does all this time go? It accumulates in the seconds and minutes spent standing in line or waiting, necks bowed down and eyes fixated on a screen. God forbid an individual has to make small talk or be present in the moment. The digital buffer prevents individuals from exploring human connections and confronting awkward or uncomfortable situations.
Humans hate awkward moments or silences. Phones eliminate awkward moments, which are needed in order to grow and inspire creativity. Instead of being forced to sit with thoughts and be still, humans are constantly moving from one entertainment source to the next.
It’s essential to revel in the awkwardness of everyday life. Sit still and feel what it is to inhabit your body. Letting the mind wander is what breeds creativity.
Continuing to avoid awkward situations will lead to stagnant creativity and feed into an individual’s phone addiction. People own phones to control their life, they shouldn’t be controlled by their phones.
“Digital Minimalism” by Cal Newport aims to tackle the phone addiction issue. He identifies strategies tech companies use to keep the user glued to their screen, such as unpredictable feedback in the form of notifications, and intermittent positive reinforcement in the form of likes and comments. Tech companies deliberately and intentionally create products and services designed to hold the user’s attention for as long as possible.
When approaching digital minimalism, it’s important to have a philosophy in place that establishes the goal and process of becoming a digital minimalist. It’s essential to differentiate between mindless screen time and novelty time.
What may seem like novelty time spent playing Candy Crush can soon transform into mindless screen time leveling up. Instead of finding joy and entertainment through the game, the user feels compelled to play in order to progress and receive a rush of dopamine when they succeed. This same sort of mentality may be applied to any other app on the phone when entertainment becomes compulsion.
Utilizing Marie Kondo’s “Does it spark joy?” mentality, the individual must limit their digital use to what is essential and actually brings enjoyment in order to free themselves from the clutches of their phone. Additionally, individuals must reduce their digital use rapidly and intently, as a lax and reluctant reduction leaves more opportunity for a relapse into old digital habits.
Think about opportunity cost, the next-best alternative to spending time on besides what one chooses to do. Considering opportunity cost, one can weigh the benefits of spending two hours on TikTok versus spending two hours baking a cake.
Of course, it’s up to the individual to decide how they spend their time. That being said, they should not feel impelled to use their phone and go through withdrawal when not using their phone.
Whether through guilt or inspiration, it’s possible to make a change. To set things in motion, an individual must be committed to reducing their digital usage and unrelenting in their practice of digital minimalism.
A few strategies to put in place to move forward with digital minimalism are: declutter the digital space, such as clearing the desktop and deleting unneeded files; eliminate distracting notifications and set aside a few times during the day to check those apps; be succinct with emails and only reply when necessary; reset the digital space and close tabs and programs to have a fresh start the next day.
Remember that digital minimalism is a philosophy to which one must be committed in order to see progress. It’s a conscious choice one must make each day. Only through unplugging from the digital world may one recharge themselves with the splendors of the natural world.
_In pursuit of racial and social equity, The Maneater encourages its readers to donate to Brave Space Alliance, a Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ Center dedicated to providing resources, services and programming for LGBTQ+ individuals on the South and West sides of Chicago. Donate at: http://www.bravespacealliance.org/donate_
_Edited by Sydney Lewis | slewis@themaneater.com_
