We have become so dependent on our cell phones for everyday living that it has interrupted the connection we have with living. We use our phones for emails, photography, texts, navigation, booking trips… the list goes on. We can take a picture and have it instantly uploaded to multiple social networks in seconds. While we struggle with sharing our memories, we also struggling with being connected in the moment. For example, if we put our phones away during a family time, we might forget to capture the moment in picture to reflect on at a later date.
When we have our phones on us, we hear the ding of a new email or text and even through we may choose not to attend to it at that moment, we are distracted. We end up multitasking without being aware of it, saying we have to look at that message when we get to the car. Or start thinking was that work which could lead to making lists of to do’s when you get back home. When we have our phones on us or around us, even though we may not be actively on them, we are not fully disconnected. Its a daily struggle to manage being in the moment and being connected.
In research it is shown that our cell phones effect our cognitive abilities when the phone is near us. If put away from us, it is better, if put in another room it is best. Just the presence of our phones can effect our ability to think and problem solve even when not in use. The ringing of the phone can boost anxiety when you are not able to reach it but hear it. To truly disconnect, we need to leave our phones at home but the separation can also cause anxiety. Having Your Smartphone Nearby Takes a Toll on Your Thinking
The constant connection with technology has led us to forget how to truly absorb information we receive. We skim articles, forgetting what we read minutes earlier because we hear an alert for a message or start to thinking about the next thing to do. In order to fully understand, learn and absorb information or taking in moments we have to be able to concentrate without distracts such as our phones. Without the distractions we can fully take in the knowledge we need to complete one task and give it our full attention with less time and higher productivity. This can be with work, school or personal life. I have forgotten how to read
Holly Checchia 