Discover the intricate love-hate dynamics we share with our phones. Explore the impact of constant notifications, curated online personas, information overload, and dopamine cravings. Learn practical tips for improving digital well-being, breaking free from addiction, and creating space in our lives and minds. Prioritize your mental health in the digital age.
It’s complicated
I hate my phone.
The way it glares at me when I get a notification-
It’s technicolor signals of deception.
I hate checking my screen time,
Knowing that I’ve fallen for it,
Yet another week.
I hate my phone.
Watching the lives of others pass by in tiny rectangles,
While I sit stagnant on my bed,
Staring,
Stuck.
I hate my phone-
It’s too needy and I want to give it space…
But I’m needy too, I crave its fake love,
The chemical reaction in my brain.
I hate my phone-
I love my phone.
And it drives me fucking insane.
As we connect with others online we disconnect from our reality and dive into a second one. One where people only show a curated online persona, revealing only a small part of the full truth.
Our lives are filled with so much stimulation as it is, but our phones completely swamp us with it, flooding our brains with information that isn’t actually relevant to us. Causing our attention span to be short, our patience vexed, and our minds occupied.
The more media we consume, the higher our dopamine tolerance becomes and everyday tasks get more difficult to complete because they are less fulfilling than the endless scrolling of our phone.
During this pandemic it’s become almost impossible to put my phone down at times because there’s seemingly nothing better to do but spend hours upon hours on TikTok.
Nonetheless it’s crucial for our health to try to limit overconsumption and become less dependent on the ever-available offer of easily accessible dopamine. You can do this by taking longer breaks off of social media or turning off notifications for some apps.
The thing is that it’s their job to keep you hooked with algorithms that are perfectly tailored to you, that’s how they make their money. I hope in 2021 we can all take some time to take care of our digital well-being and create more space in our lives and in our minds. It’s a hard endeavor but definitely one that will pay off.
Good luck and good riddance,
Luisa
Images photographed by Luisa Beinhold
