Tag Archives: phone

Who Cares?

This is a notion which I like to keep with me now, in whatever I am pursuing in my life. Recently, this came to light when there was drama in the YouTube community concerning branding in the beauty community. I am all for ousting people who do the wrong thing, especially any mental or physical abuse. When it comes to the cancel culture of the internet, it is so powerful that it sometimes works too quickly, or too hard in some cases; destroying the careers of people who really had not done anything wrong.

I think nowadays, our society is not willing to have a conversation. With highly inexcusable acts, such as racism, homophobia and sexism to name a few, there is no discussion to be had. But when it comes to the smaller, personal topics between individuals, it seems to be a case of “I am right and you are wrong, but I don’t want to hear what you want to say”.

I understand, people feel extremely threatened when they are found to be wrong, or expose themselves to the possibility of being wrong. But, being wrong is flipping cool. Not only do you get to learn something, but you also learn a little more about yourself in the meantime; what is more valuable than that?

But, the things we seem to care about are the most meaningless. When I used to use Facebook I would complain about what everybody else is doing; judging them for their every move. But one day I stopped myself an asked “Why do I care about this?”. I purposely choose to act the way I act, which means I hold all of the power.

So, the next time you ask a question, or are hesitant about making a decision, don’t care about what everyone else will think. I was going to google “Should I buy a Samsung or iPhone” but then I thought “Who cares?” and I should just buy the one that will make you happy.

With the small things that matter to you, and the some of the large things, focus on YOU. Stop paying attention to everyone else.

Maybe cut down on your screen time

With the whole world being stuck at home once again, it may seem natural to spend every waking moment online, to pass the time away that you would usually be doing with others.

Now don’t get me wrong, like the average Joe, I love using my phone and the internet. It is a brilliant source of entertainment, communication and pleasure. However, for every positive there has to be a negative. With the internet, it is the biggest form of distraction there is.

It has been said many times before me. Websites have been designed to be engaging and addictive. The reason tiktok is so popular is because of its endless scrolling feature. It is impossible to reach the end of it, there is no end. Facebook and YouTube are the same, you could spend hours watching videos and browsing, without realising it is night and you haven’t eaten all day. That anecdote may seem farfetched, but it does happen; to me as well.

You may be wondering “Get off my phone? That is so easy anyone can do it!”. To those who make that statement, I ask you whether you have tried a detox from it? To an outsider, anything seems possible. Once you have committed to staying off it for a while, it will become how apparent the difficulties it entails.

Books are still a thing, and probably hold more knowledge than any single video does. Perhaps you could try it instead of indulging in a Minecraft video. I should state, I am being hypocritical on purpose. I believe throughout all our lives, we should take responsibility and be accountable for our own actions; myself included.

So, let us try to get our screen time down by 10%.

Putting our phones down..

The phones over 94% of Americans carry in their pockets has revolutionised the digital age. Everybody is connected to everyone; all at once. Yet, the rate of happiness collected globally has seen a massive decrease. Most, if not all people would agree that our phones are a contributing factor.

Social media portrays the vision of ourselves to others that we want them to see. When I was younger, when i was having my photo taken, I would always tense my biceps; to look strong. There wasn’t much of a difference in the photo, and now I am always reminded of how I felt when the photo was taken. I wasn’t happy, I wanted people to see how strong I was ( I was 15).

3 years on from this, and I can see old classmates acting the way my 15 year old self did. The stylised, sexy photos people post to instagram and on their snapchat stories, aims to gain some sort of admiration from their followers. People want to be known, and liked by all (social validation). We think this would make us happy, but rather it does the opposite. Being constantly self aware, self conscious of how we present ourselves to others, has led to the movement of Digital Minimalism.

This art was named by Cal Newport, the author of the book by the same name. Cal states the benefits of cutting back from technology, embracing having less than more, can make you happy. Being an advocate for this, I have experienced many benefits.

For example, the purpose of social media is to keep us connected globally. I have met new friends from across the world using these sources, but not close friends.

I found I speak to my closer friends more frequently without the use with social media. I come across as less insecure, and more confident with my own beliefs.

Cutting back on using my phone has led to a creative spark within me to pursue making content. Although the blog website does not get many views, I don’t care because I enjoy making the content I publish. I am ahead of my schedule when it comes to making posts!

Finally, the main benefit I discovered from cutting back is I read more. Usually, It would take me a couple of weeks to finish a book. This week alone, I have read 2 books, over 300 pages long. I am starting to see benefits in sleep as well, which is very important.

I can’t tell anybody to do something, but if you feel as though you are too connected to social media, and your phone, it is time to pursue a more intentional life. Digital minimalism is the way.