I used to scoff when my mom would question my screentime or even the benefit of my little device. But now, I am starting to ask the same things. Why do I allow myself to place so much value into something that is meant to be a means of communication? The line in which I believe phones become unhealthy is when assumptions are introduced. Otherwise, they truly are a means of talking to your people.
Often I feel like people, myself included, assume the worst when it comes to people’s responses or lack thereof. Honestly, I present a double standard. As someone who is terrible at responding to texts, I question my worth when people do not answer mine. Thus, comes the self-questioning, happiness behavior. I describe happiness as something that is reliant on outcomes or responses. And often that is the root problem with phones. “Dopamine debt” is a term that refers to being away from your phone or not receiving the same amount of notifications, thus your brain is less happy. Neurologically, people become dependent on these things.
When assumptions are taken out of phones, it makes it easier to look within to describe oneself. And that is where joy comes from. When you can define yourself based on yourself, it brings positivity back into your life. Not thinking too deeply about things you do not know about yields joy, unlike any doomscrolling ever could 🙂
