10/11/13

BBC - Future Seven rules to stop your phone taking over your life

10October2013

Sevenrulestostopyourphone takingoveryourlife
TomChatfield

Transformyourrelationshipwithyour phonewiththeserules,andprepareto enjoylifesgreaterpleasures.

Howoftendoyoucheckyourphonewhen youreoutandabout?Ivebeenreflectingon thisquestionwhilewritinginarentedcottagein Scotland,withoutinternetaccessorphone signal.Icountedthenumberoftimesmyhand twitchestowardsmypocket,wherea smartphoneusuallynestles.Thetallywasat leastonceanhour.

(Copyright:Thinkstock)

Thesefrequentlittlechecksofpersonaldevicesareknownamonghumancomputerinterface researchersasmicrointeractionsrapidglancesatemail,socialmediaandapps,oftenlasting onlyafewseconds. Ifitsdisconcertingthatcheckingmysmartphonehasbecomeahabit,theresaparticularironyfor me:forthelastfewmonths,Ivebeeninvolvedinaprojecttodesignacodeofconduct (http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/switchoffchillout/2034200/)forsmartphone usageonAustraliasSunshineCoast.Thecodecomesinsevenparts,andaimstohelp holidaymakersstoptheirsmartphonestakingovertimetheyvesetasideforleisure,eachother andtheplacetheyrein.Behindit,though,liessomethingthatappliestousall:theneedfornew etiquettesinanerawheresharednotionsofacceptablebehaviourlagyears,ifnotdecades, behindthetoolsweveincorporatedintoourlives. Here,then,aresevensmartersmartphonerules,designedtostoptechnologygettingintheway ofotherexperiences. Talknow,textlater Ortweetlater.Oremaillater.Thelistgoeson.Thethinkingbehindthisissimpleenough.Courtesy ofthemagicscreensinourpockets,wecandoalmostanythingonline,anywhere,atanytime.And sowedofailingalongthewaytoputboundariesaroundleisureandpleasure,mealsandsleep,

www.bbc.com/future/story/20131010-lose-the-phone-reclaim-your-life/print

1/4

10/11/13

BBC - Future Seven rules to stop your phone taking over your life

vacationsandintimatemoments.Wegorgeourselvesondigitaldelights,andobligations,and somewherealongthewayfailtosavourwhoorwhatisrightinfrontofus.Whichleadsonto Takeaphonefreeday Theresanuneasyedgetothischallenge:shouldntwesimplylearnselfcontrol?Everydevicehas anoffbutton,afterall.Yetwecanbepeculiarlyunwillingtouseitatendencycapturedinthe delightfulacronymFOMO,orFearOfMissingOut.Howcanweresistthecontinualdopaminehits ofsomeonelikingourstatus,replyingtoourmessages,orretweetingus? Ourconsciousmindshavealimitedcapacityforhighqualitydecisionmaking,andguardit jealously.AsauthorCharlesDuhiggputitinhis2012bookThePowerofHabit (http://charlesduhigg.com/thepowerofhabit/),mostofthechoiceswemakeeverydaymay feelliketheproductsofwellconsidereddecisionmaking,buttheyrenot.Wedecideoncetokeep ourmobilephoneswitchedonandfittedsnuglyintoourpocketandthenourinitialchoice vanishes,slidinginsteadtowardssomethingautomatic.Habitsarethoseactionswherelifehas creptunderourskinandbecomeapartofus. So,breaktheroutineandmakeyourhabitsvisibleonceagain.Perhapsthebestwayistoleave yourphoneonthebedsidetablefortheday,butyoumightalsotryatechniqueIdiscoveredby accidentwhiletravelling:engageairplanemode,andbreatheinablissfulfewuncontactable hours. Or,ofcourse,youcantakeamoreextremeapproach.Takethemethodemployedbyauthor EvgenyMorozov(http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/mar/09/evgenymorozov technologysolutionisminterview),whoroutinelylockshisdigitaldevicesinsideasafewitha timer.Heevenclaimstoplacehisscrewdriversinsideaswell,whichpreventshimprisingthesafe openinamomentofweakness. Avoidbeingasearchitall Inotherwords,forgomaps,searchengines,andreviewwebsitesonceinawhileandembrace serendipityinstead. Ifyoumustuseyourphonetoexploreyoursurroundings,consideroneofvariousappsthat encouragechancediscoveries.Pluginadestinationtothe(somewhattongueincheek)app Serendipitor(http://serendipitor.net/site/),forexample,anditwillgiveyoudirectionsthat encouragewanderingratherthanspeed,oreveninstructionssuchasfollowthatcar. Considerhowmanyconversationsandencountersmightneverhavetakenplaceifeveryquestion inhistoryhadbeenansweredbyonepersonstaringataprivatescreen.Gettingalittlelostand relinquishingcontrolbothliterallyandmetaphoricallyistheperfectwaytofindnewquestions youdidntevenknowyouwantedtoask. Elbowsandphonesoffthetable Ivewrittenelsewhere(http://www.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/gadgetsand tech/features/theriseofphubbingakaphonesnubbing8747229.html)aboutthehabitof phubbing:snubbingotherpeoplebyignoringthemandpayingattentiontoyourmobilephone instead.Itsawordthatcaughttheworldsattentionforareason:becauseofarisingdesireto pushbackagainstthesocialconsequencesofindiscriminate,andundiscriminating,technological immersion.

www.bbc.com/future/story/20131010-lose-the-phone-reclaim-your-life/print

2/4

10/11/13

BBC - Future Seven rules to stop your phone taking over your life

Nowheredoestherudenessofphubbingmattermorethanthedinnertable,wheretheideaof goodmannersarguablybegan.Iftheresadifferencebetweendiningandmerelyingesting calories,itsthissenseofoccasionandofsomethingowedingratitudeandpleasuretothose weresharingitwith.Withrecentstudiessuggesting (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/sciencenews/9589232/Puttingamobilephoneon therestauranttablewillruinyourmeal.html)thatsimplyleavingyourphoneondisplaywhile diningbreedsahostofnegativefeelingsinthosearoundyou,itmaypaymorethanyourealizeto keepyourtechoutofsightandmind. Lookbeforeyousnap Weare,thephilosopherAristotleargued,whatwerepeatedlydo.Amongotherthings,weare peoplewhotakepicturesontheirphonesalot.Thisisfinejustaskmynewbornsonsdoting grandparents.Yetweneedtorecognizethatlivinglifethroughalenscandamagetheverythings wereaimingtocapture. Takemymostrecentexperiencesofagig,whichconsistedalmostexclusivelyofwatchingthe bandrefractedthroughthetinyscreensofathousandsmartphonesheldaloft.Musicians,too, havebaulkedatthispractice:inApril,thebandYeahYeahYeahspostedasignaskingfansto pockettheirphonesduringtheirperformance. AsthefilmmakerSofiaCoppolaputit(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social media/10084186/IstheFacebookgenerationantisocial.html)earlierthisyear,itcanfeellike livingdoesnotcountunlessyouaredocumentingit.Yettheveryactofmediationsubstitutes somethingprefabricatedfortheprocessoflayingdownandlivingwithamemory. ItreasurethevideoandimagesItookaroundmysonsbirth.ButItreasurethembecausethey pointmetowardssomethingelse:theexperiencesIlived,intenselyandentirely,inthose moments. Tastebeforeyouupload Sometimes,digitaltechnologiestreatuslikesomethingalittlelessthanhuman:asmerelyeyeballs staringatscreensandfingersclickingonbuttons.Butnomatterhowmanygeeksmaydreamof beinguploadedintotheMatrix,weremainembodiedbeings.Weexistinparticularplacesat particulartimesandwecanonlymakethemostofourmomentsbygivingfullexpressiontothe gamutofoursenses. BeforeyousharethatInstagramsnap,then,makesureyoupause,taste,breathetheairdeeply, fixthepresentmomentasfullyasyourphysicalpresencepermitsandonlythengiveventto whatevertwodimensionalrepresentationoftheexperiencetakesyourfancy. AsthecomputerscientistandphilosopherJaronLanierhaspointedout,sensorymeasuressuch astasteandaromaareneglectedbyalmostalldigitaltechnologiestogetherwitheveryother quantitythataprogrammerhasntexpresslysetouttoincludeintheiralgorithms.Thisishowour toolsworkbutitcanalsobreedafundamentalforgetfulnessthat,ifwerenotcareful,causesusto countthevalueonlyofthosethingsourscreensthemselvescanmeasure. Kissyourphonegoodnight Lyingonthepillow,itstemptingtopickyourphoneuponelasttime.Yetprepareforyoursleepto bedisrupted.Why?Thescreensonelectronicdevicesemitbluelight,whichyourbrainassociates

www.bbc.com/future/story/20131010-lose-the-phone-reclaim-your-life/print

3/4

10/11/13

BBC - Future Seven rules to stop your phone taking over your life

withdaylight.Exposureplayshavocwithyourbodyclock,whilestimulationjustonemorelink, tweet,emailortextdoesthesametoyourmuchabusedattentionspan.Youcanforgetthejoys ofreverie,too,andthelicencethatcomeswithlettingyourmindwander. Andthatsbeforewegetontothemoreintimatepossibilitiesofbedroomtime.FortheauthorDH Lawrence,oneofmodernitysworsttendencieswastoputsexintheheadinsteadofdownwhere itbelongssomethingthatsurelycountsdoubleforglowingscreensandlatenightgamesof CandyCrushSaga. Finally... Acodeofconductcantsolveeveryproblem.Butitcanhelpustobreakoutofhalfacknowledged habitsandtorememberthatmomentswellspentarequitedifferentfromtimemerelyfilled.As theBritishauthorTimHarfordconciselyputsit(http://timharford.com/2013/09/3180/), smartphonesarehabitforming,sothinkaboutthehabitsyouwanttoform. InScotland,meanwhile,myuselessphonenowrestsinertonachestofdrawers.Intheabsence ofphysicalcontact,thepangsofinternetcoldturkeyarestartingtoease.Illneedtopickitup soon,though.Imoffforabriskwalkupahillwhere,ifImunlucky,severaldays'worthofemails willbewaitingatthetop. Doyouagree?Wouldyouaddyourownrules?Tocommentonthisarticleoranythingelseyou haveseenonFuture,headovertoourFacebookpage (https://www.facebook.com/BBCFuture)ormessageusonTwitter (https://twitter.com/#%21/BBC_Future).

Weblink
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20131010losethephonereclaimyourlife (http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20131010losethephonereclaimyourlife)

www.bbc.com/future/story/20131010-lose-the-phone-reclaim-your-life/print

4/4