My cell phone conspiracy theory

While I was on my way to take care of my grandson this morning, I passed by many of the students waiting for the bus. What I saw was every single student bent over their phone completely absorbed with the machine in their hands and not at all interested in each other.

Several things came to mind. First, I thought how sad it is that we would rather interact with a machine than with each other. Second, I wondered how many people had to go to the doctor because of neck issues after hanging their heads over the phone. Third, I thought about how our phones have become so important to us. We can do everything on our phones, including reading, communicating, making money, navigating, and much more. Right now, I am monitoring an application that shows my grandson taking a nap. My fourth thought was were we manipulated into needing our phones? I think the answer is yes, and the reason, of course, it allows people to make money from our addiction. I would love to think the tech companies are only trying to make our lives easier, but I think the reasons are more nefarious. So how did we not notice that we were becoming so dependent on our phones? I think the answer is that it was a gradual process, and we saw each new addition as a positive improvement. We started by using the phones as a great way to connect in emergencies, then all sorts of applications and games were available, and now, cell phones are money makers for many. Have you ever looked up something on Google and suddenly that product pops up everywhere?

I agree that cell phones are helpful in so many ways, but I hope we all operate them with some boundaries. These are only some suggestions that might work to help us stay more connected with each other than we are with our phones.

· Have some times when phones are put away.

· Have meals without phones.

· Monitor your child’s usage.

· Turn your phone off at night.

· Limit time on social media.