You would have to have been hiding under a fairly impressive rock to not know that people are worried about how much we use our phones and digital media.  Digital Minimalism is one of the books on the subject that has come out recently.  Cal Newport, the author, comes at the topic from a scientific perspective.  Cal breaks down how the media affects us, from the recent epidemic of anxiety issues to the loneliness that everyone seems to be feeling these days, and demonstrates what some ways to get out of it are.  His most extreme, and longest lasting, fix is getting rid of anything you do not actually need for survival on your phone, for thirty days.  This includes email if you do not need it for work and definitely includes that guilty pleasure game you pull out in lines at the grocery store.  The thing that still has me on the fence is his idea of getting rid of my podcast app as well.  That would just hurt.  I love my podcasts.  To Cal’s point, it stops me from thinking about things in life, from random stuff to big decisions, and counts to the constant distractions we face in life that stops us from going deep on ourselves.  He makes it akin to always being in school and never applying the work.  Sure you learn a lot, but if you are always learning and never applying then you become an encyclopedia.  You are useful but not really practiced.  The analogy is mine so don’t blame him for it.

My overall point, and the reason for this post, is that as a society we have a messed up relationship with our phones.  Stephen King wrote a book called Cell a while ago.  I mean the cover is a flip phone, at least on the one I read, but it had the zombie apocalypse coming through cell phones.  He was not far off.  Sure, we can joke about it, and I have seen the memes to prove it.  However, just because it is a stereotype doesn’t mean there isn’t some truth.  So read this book and seriously reconsider that sturdily powerful computer you treat better than your best friend.  Know how I know?  Because you look at it while sitting next to them.  Least I do.