Unplug from your phone before you lose human connections

One early morning, I sat at the dining table with Ikigai, a book I was reading. My mother sat in the chair next to me with a cup of tea. I could see her in my peripheral, glancing at me. But I kept reading. Then, she got up, got her phone from the bedroom, and turned on Candy Crush.

Over tea, Mom and I usually fall into conversation about the news, latest K-dramas, Bruno Mars, and tasks for the day. When she launched the game on her phone, it felt like we lost two minutes of conversation we enjoy.

Simon Sinek, an English-American author and inspirational speaker, explains how a smartphone affects interactions.

The temptation to look at your phone is too strong. Like passing by a dead rat. You know it’s gross and looking at it won’t achieve great things like climate change. But you can’t resist it. You sneak a glance, then it’s stuck in your head until the next self-defined life-changing moment occurs.

Social media reminds you it’s the villain you’ve fallen for

I watched an Instagram reel last week and realized today that it’s a video from seven years ago. That’s not even as shocking as the fact that it still holds true. Spare three minutes to watch it:

Not caring won’t change a thing

Choosing not to care is like believing smelly socks won’t stink if you ignore them.

This is the part you were probably afraid of. Statistics. Facts. The truth. But you got to face it.

Reduced concentration: Turn your phone up, down, or sideways. Studies show that concentration is affected because part of the brain is actively working not picking up or using the phone.
Brain downtime: People don’t engage in meaningful conversation because they are distracted and worried they’ll get bored halfway in. But your brain needs that lull.
Digital Dementia: There’s a reason the word “doom scrolling” exists. People are scrolling without purpose. However using smartphones continuously negatively affects the brain, health, eyesight, mood, sleep schedule, and memory.
Apetite for distraction: irregular eating, mindless consumption, binge-eating, skipping meals.

While smartphones have changed, improved, and simplified so much for us, they can also steal us from the present. Do you remember the color of the sky today? How many red cars did you notice on your way to work? I bet you can answer this – how many WhatsApp messages did you get today?

Some heroes wear a chef hat

Back in 2014, celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn opened a Dupont Circle speakeasy that prohibited photos.“Don’t be on your phone,” Mendelsohn told Washington City Paper. “You have the rest of your life to be on your phone.”

Marco Canora, chef and owner of Hearth, an Italian-inspired restaurant in the East Village, offered vintage boxes on each table to lock away cellphones and use paper and crayons if your hands are feeling itchy.

Angelo Lella, the owner of Al Condominio in Verona, offers a free bottle of wine in exchange for phones during meals.

There’s a reason I found examples of two chefs trying to help people disconnect from tech. When customers are busy scrolling, snapping, and filming their meals, the line outside gets impatient. They lose business.

Hijack your attention back

When Insatgram sends an alert that you’ve spent too long drying your eyes out, do you stop? Personally, if I’ve already scrolled for 20 minutes, another 5 (which becomes 60) won’t hurt, I foolishly think.

Here are few tips and tricks to detox: