By Shiraz Rimer, Year 10
As I look around the Parc des Eaux-Vives, everyone is staring at their phones. Whether they are looking for Pokemons, refreshing their Instagram feeds or simply opening a Snapchat, everyone seems to be captivated by these enslaving screens. Everyone is physically here but none are mentally present, nobody seems to appreciate the panoramic view of the lake, or to notice the minutes ticking by. I know that by now, you must think I have the mentality of a fifty five year old and you must be wondering what it’s doing trapped inside a fourteen and a half year old’s body. Let me explain, I am far from being the exemplary “technology-free” student who abstains from all social media and has a Nokia. I am the polar opposite, I have Instagram, Snapchat, Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter, etc… You name it! I am equally dependant and attached to my phone but the difference is that I know that I am an addict.
Do you remember the last time you went a whole day without using your phone? From personal experience, when my phone is confiscated, or if I simply forget it, the first few hours are always the hardest. Somehow the minute you don’t have it anymore, everything you need to do requires a phone. But after a few days of frustration and longing for Apple you start noticing a change in your character, or at least, others do. You start feeling less tired, positive and everything seems to become more real. You have deeper and meaningful conversations where you are truly present.
But why do we constantly need our phones? Is it to keep our snapchat “streaks” going? Is it to make sure we’re not missing an “important” message from our friends ? Or is it to refresh our stories to see what’s happening at that party. Well, my friends, that is what we call FOMO. Or in other words, the Fear Of Missing Out.
As you are all aware of, we are now well into the beginning of the school year. The workload is now gently growing and our heads are gently starting to explode. For some, exams are approaching, essays are due and a lot of important deadlines are coming up. That’s why it is essential to get into good habits and to have a somewhat normal sleep cycle. Adults constantly remind us that we need 8 to 10 hours of sleep at night, but who are they kidding! Nevertheless by cutting down the amount of time we spend on our phones or even just working with our phones close by (therefore not really working and being as productive as we could be) we would probably be able to sleep at least one hour more.
Here are some ideas for a Digital Detox:
Idea n°1 (Level: Easy) : No electronics after 9pm. Leave your phone to charge in another room.
Idea n°2 (Level: Medium) : Download an app to monitor your phone usage (some good ones are Moment and QualityTime) and set a daily limit of circa an hour and a half. Even if you don’t set a limit, it’s always eye opening to see the amount of time you spend on your phone.
Idea n°3 (Level: Hard) : Switch to a Nokia for a few weeks. Trust me, this is one of the most liberating things I have ever done. Because typing on a Nokia is such a hassle, you will stop sending text messages and start calling people more.
Idea n°4 : I don’t expect anyone to actually do this but there are such places as Digital Detox Retreats. These are places designed specially for people who need to disconnect to reconnect. You spend a few days cooking, doing yoga, meditating, hiking and writing.
I hope this article made you stop and think and hopefully will encourage you to change, as for me, I have to go check my snapchat 😉
