Obviously, smartphones have changed a lot about humans, the way we live our lives, the way we communicate, and more. It's rare to see someone without a phone nowadays, including children and adults; we are always married to our screens, and sometimes I just sit to imagine what our lifestyle would have looked like without smartphones.
Could it be that we will be happier without smartphones? Or perhaps our stress level would have been reduced, or maybe life would have been tougher? Just thinking out loud anyways.
Well, life without a smartphone will have both the good and the bad sides. With our smartphone, we live an easier lifestyle, more convenient, but then it somehow affects the human connection we are supposed to enjoy. I don't need to go far; in our different families, most of course are struggling to have a good family time, all because of screens. We are easily distracted
... A neighbor visited me the other day and got angry because I kept receiving notifications on my phone that I couldn't discipline myself to ignore. She needed face-to-face discussion with me over an issue, not the one we could chat about over the phone, yet distraction was irresistible. Trust me, without smartphones, we may start to value people, our friends and family, more instead of becoming mentally absent while sitting together.
The pressure to keep up with a lot of online activities is giving us stress. We are exhausted most times dealing with Internet activities just to stay updated; it may be okay, but the stress is terrible, so mentally draining. The comparison we see online, oh no... I believe without smartphones, most people will regain their sanity and even sleep better because a lot are suffering from phone addiction already.
But then, I will never deny how important smartphones have been to human lives. We can't exhuast it's important in a hurry. This tool can be very useful when we use it appropriately. Imagine the number of people that have gotten financial freedom via promoting their business online. Where can we start to count how helpful smartphones have been?
Overall, the problem is not the smartphone itself but the way we use it. I usually tell myself, "Nkem, don't allow this phone to control you; it is created to assist you. Rather, just be in charge and make the best use of it.
"Maybe if smartphones were never invented, humans could have a better physical relationship, less distraction, less mental pressure, etc., but no doubt, without them, we wouldn't enjoy the many opportunities we enjoy today.
The key is just balance; let technology serve the purpose of its creation to humanity, but if we are intentional, smartphones shouldn't fully replace our supposed connection.
Image was created using chatgpt
