I recently got out of an extremely toxic and obsessive relationship. Call it a bad break up if you might. About 160 days ago, I broke up with my phone. That’s right, I spent the last 5 months without a phone in my hand all the time. It was tough in the beginning but eventually, I moved on.
I’ve always been deeply attached to my smartphone and with this deep attachment comes a constant need to keep it charged at full battery life around the clock. And just like that, 5 months ago, I overcharged my phone and blew up the core circuit of its motherboard. On any normal day, I would have had multiple mini panic attacks but for a change, I was surprisingly calm. I guess deep down I’ve always known that I was grossly addicted to my phone and a drastic change was my only option. It was then when I decided to take up a ‘210 days no phone challenge’. why 210 you ask? Because 21 days wouldn’t have cleansed my addiction permanently. Now those of you who automatically reach for their phones first thing in the morning, please pay careful attention, because my dear friend, YOU ARE A PHONE ADDICT. In millennial words, you have ‘NOMOPHOBIA’- a person who has a fear of being without a mobile phone. Now don’t blame your phone. Blame yourself. You allow a materialistic object made of simple plastic and metal to hold power over you. You store your entire life in a microchip instead of living in the present and cherishing the moment. And the worst, you depend on an app to do everything instead of your highly competent mind. I speak so negatively because not only did I lose my phone but also my Somaiya wifi and Netflix account passwords that I thought were safely stored on my phone. You lost the day you gave your phone the power to take over your life.
Let me show you what a day without a phone looks like. I wake up around 7 in the morning thanks to my original alarm clock, my mother and somehow reach college before 9:10 am. I go about my day in college as usual and come back home in time to hit the gym. Post dinner, I read a book and fall asleep early. Sounds pretty normal right? The only difference is I’m saving up on 3-4 hours daily and judiciously utilizing it to catch up on my life and sleep. Instead of wasting an entire day reading/waiting for WhatsApp notifications, I read up about current affairs. Instead of scrolling through 2/10 memes on Facebook, I talk to a friend. Instead of aimlessly stalking famous Instagram accounts, I work towards a productive future. I’m much more mindful now considering this one time, I forgot to get off at my train station because I was too engrossed in watching a video about Ranbir Kapoor and all the relationships he’s been in. To be honest, the only thing I miss about having a phone is the easily access to a calculator because let’s face it, it’s too late to improve my math.
Having said all this, It’s time to break up! I’m not going to tell you how to get over your addiction because I’m certain you already know how to. Simply do a little self analysis. If you are an addict, then kiss your phone goodbye. I’m not asking you to completely give it up but start avoiding it when possible. As a little take away from this article, go check your daily average time on the Instagram app. If its anything more than 45 minutes, then you know what to do!
Glint 2020 