Smartphones are Stressful!

When I heard that smartphones were stressful I totally agreed. When I misplace mine, I go crazy pacing around the house, searching. I cannot rest until I find it. When I don’t have it with me, I feel like I’m missing an important part of me. It’s almost like I am missing half my brain. I keep so many things on its memory. I have pictures, all my apps, and contacts on it and if all that was lost or in different hands… I am pretty sure would not be able to sleep. With it I can use my GPS and a flashlight. If I need to remember something I just put it in my notepad app. Without its familiar buzz in my back pocket or it charging on my bedside table at night I would freak out.

British psychologists have found that while smartphones can keep us connected and are very helpful, they have made us addicts. When we hear a ring or a buzz we immediately check our phones. Most mornings, the first thing I do is check my phone and see if I got any messages. But it’s almost natural. I check it before I fall asleep too, just in case. These physiologists discovered a relationship between how often we check our phones and our stress levels. They did an experiment that confirmed that people’s stress levels and blood pressure rises dramatically when we are away from the internet. Our phones can be incredibly stressful because they contain everything.

Once you upgrade to the reliable convenience of the well accustomed smartphone it is hard to turn back. My htc Evo is so helpful to me and aids me in a lot of the things I do. If I hear a word I can look it up on the internet. If I hear a song and want to know who sings it I can just use Shazaam to find out. For every awesome application and every gadget, there is the worry that comes with it. With the new ability to check email on your phone, comes worry you might miss an important or life changing email. Without my notepad app in my pocket I am afraid I will forget important things.

One thing that makes me crazy about having this piece of technology is that there are all the entertaining games I can play. A simple thing like Smurf Village keeps my mind on when my crops are going to be ready or what I should plant next instead of significant things. An even bigger annoyance is that my seven year old brother is constantly asking me if he can play on my phone. Most of the time I say no because without knowing exactly where it is and what is happening on it I find it hard to focus. I have to keep my mind busy with repetitive activities like folding and putting away my clothes or straightening up my room.

We need to stop staring at our glowing screens and focus more on real life. My Smartphone takes me away from laundry and dishes I could be doing as well as socializing with my family, sometimes. Realizing this, I feel a strong desire to put down the phone and start living. I want to break out of this but, could I live without my phone for a week? Could you take a break?

I dare you to try it. Put your phone on airplane mode (this mode disables all internet capabilities) or turn it off. Just for a day. See if it makes a difference in how stressed you feel and how much you accomplish. 

For John Briggs opinion:http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/17/calmate-put-down-your-smartphone-to-feel-better/

For Amy Reiter’s take on this:http://thestir.cafemom.com/healthy_living/131527/6_ways_smartphones_stress_us