4 Reasons You Should Limit Your Cell Phone Use

I don't think it would be too much of an exaggeration to say that cell phones practically run our everyday lives at this point. Who can blame us, really?

They're small, convenient and can be used basically anywhere at any time. We can find out anything we want (for the most part) in about 3 seconds and call any of our friends or family with a push of a button, so why wouldn't we always have these in our back pocket?

While this may not necessarily seem like a burden or problem, if we take a closer look we can see quite a few drawbacks.

Cell phones have become so handy (pun intended) that we may not have noticed our inability to leave them at home. Think about it.

You wake up, check your email, news feeds and messages. Then you put it in your bags, cars or pants and bring it out with you for the rest of the day so that you can check your email, news feeds and messages over and over again.

1. It's Distracting

   
   

Trust me, I understand how addicting Instagram is. There’s something oddly soothing about laying in your bed, scrolling through the pictures and tapping your finger – I get it. 

However, it becomes painfully obvious that it’s also incredibly distracting. There have been a number of times where I’m not fully engaged in a conversation, TV program or other activity because I’m scrolling through a digital reality. 

Cell phones, while helpful and useful, have become a distraction. There’s an app for EVERYTHING now and this leads to the never ending number of ways we can procrastinate.

 We could probably save ourselves a great deal of time, stress or rushing by turning the cell phone off or putting it away when it’s not needed. 

2. It Takes Away From The Moment

   
   

The more engaged we are in our text messages, snap chats and tweets, the less engaged we are in our present reality. Thus, we end up missing out on being present and being in the moment. 

As tempting as your phone may seem, nothing is worth passing up the opportunity to enjoy a good meal, meet new people or do something you love. Our cellphones can take away our physical experiences because we become too focused on engaging with digital ones.

Choose the physical instead of the digital - the memories are better.

3. It Creates A Feeling of Dependency

   
   

Has your phone ever died on you or you couldn't connect to the Wifi? In this moment, you may have found yourself feeling disconnected from the world even if you were in the presence of others.

Our constant and effortless ability to interact with people at any given moment is the norm, so when we find ourselves unable to make calls, texts or posts, it may feel like you're not able to communicate properly.

In reality, we could pick up a landline or walk out the door and talk to anyone we wanted, but our phones have generated feelings of reliance. 

4. It Generates FOMO

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

Our phones have also created a sense of competition and from this, come feelings that we may be constantly missing out. We're most likely not missing out, but it's hard not to feel that way when live videos, pictures and texts are telling you otherwise. These digital updates are serving as reminders of all the things we are not doing.

When you can constantly receive news about what your friends or loved ones are doing, it can create a sense of competition. You may see a picture of a group of friends get posted and wonder, "Why wasn't I invited?" Whereas in the past, you probably wouldn't have even had the opportunity to feel left out because you wouldn't have seen it.

I think we all know that we're just not always going to get invited to everything, and this is O.K. We can accept that we didn't get an invite to the wedding of a good acquaintance or a birthday party. However, when the images are then shoved into your face as they are happening, it can make us feel horrible.

We don't need to live in a digital reality, when we have access to a physical one. Our physical world presents endless opportunities in real time that will allow us to be happy and live in the moment.

The world within our phones is unattainable and can significantly hurt your happiness rather than help it.