Empty hands
A full mind
Full hands
Empty mind
I really must put it down, and yet
I type another line of rhyme and tell myself
In a minute …
*It’s a difficult thing, this phone addiction. Mostly because I’m not actually addicted to my phone, I just use it for everything:
It is my word processor
My scanner
My office software – when I’m away
My bank
My weather
My socials
My email
My fitness coach
My stopwatch
My encyclopaedia
My books
My music
My magazines
My newspapers
My shop
My parcel tracker
My diary and calendar
My reminder
My booking agent for tickets and hotels
My wallet
My camera
My photo album
My notebook
My messenger
My voice recorder
My, oh phone!
The list goes on and on
And yet my favourite thing to do with it is to write poetry. My notes are full of jotted moments, and like my photos, they instantly take me to a moment in time when I read them.
I write all of my blog posts, yes, even the long ones, on my phone. Due to the extensive list of utilities for which I use it, I’ve given up giving up my phone.
But I do appreciate the sensation of empty hands these days. I just have to ensure my head is empty first.
I do use the focus capabilities of the iPhone to ensure that only selective callers can get through at certain times of the day. Otherwise nothing would get done, and I have limits on social media as well, which although easy to override – still ensure I am aware of how much time I’m spending on that ridiculous endless scrolling.
How do you use your phone? What constraints do you set and use to control the the usage?
And another post about the addictive qualities of our devices:
My oh my, that’s quite a list! I just use my phone for calls and text messages.
I wish! I find mine is an extension of my field of enquiry. When I first began exploring why I find it so compelling,I thought it was social media – turns out that isn’t the case at all – it’s the “everything else” factor. And that’s fine, it’s just about awareness and knowing when to put it down and set boundaries around it. I love having a computer on my pocket, it’s so handy. I just have to ensure it doesn’t encroach on the super computer in my head
Hmmmm.
I use mine for calls.
Have an info group where I post anything important for the complex.
Receive complaints from residents.
Otherwise I use my desk top for everything.
I use my desktop for work and for the rest, I keep my computer in my pocket – actually I use my phone for work too, for banking and reconciling and research – we’re all different though
Have a fear of using my phone for banking.
Just in case I lose it.
Good thing we are all different.
Otherwise, life would be so boring.
And life is anything but boring. I know all of the fears well, have had them but it’s so convenient and I know, convenience is the name of the street straight to hell!
I understand my friend. I did something that feels “old-fashioned” (lol), I bought myself an “all in one” computer. I now have a HUGE monitor with more speed and memory than I could imagine. It makes my writing “feel” something different!? I can’t explain it well. I write every morning in my journal. I use my phone to read devotional, check IG, text, call, and read WP blogs (although you and a few more will not always appear until after much scrolling). In the last 3 years I have completed everything on a small and cheap laptop. My hands, already arthritic, hurt after holding my phone. My eyes were getting worse (diabetes doesn’t help) and I simply became irritated with my phone being a lifeline to everything. It sounds silly, but now I go to my huge computer to check the things I USED to check on my phone to feel like I’m creating a conscience detachment from this small powerful device in which I tire of seeing so often. I know my response may seem a ramble, but I’m hopeful you know how I’m feeling! I put a 30 minute timer on my IG over a year ago and that’s helpful. I use my phone more for pictures than anything! Sending hugs dear friend. 🤗💛
Hi Karla, lovely to hear from you. Your computer sounds lovely. Im trying to unlink a few tasks off my phone lately. I buy books on it but I transfer them to the kindle and read there. I can’t decouple my poetry strangely, maybe that’s become a habit now. The words bounce between my two thumbs bouncing to the beat 🙂: I think awareness is the main thing and those control measures. I have a cover on it and slide a rubber band over it so that I have to take the band off to use it. Who would have thought we would become so needy of a handful of screen, we used to skip out the door with bare hands and lighter handbags for sure.
Happy day my dear friend! I love this, “the words bounce between my two thumbs bouncing to the beat!” Awareness~yes! Kate, you’ll laugh to know that I can only text with my right thumb! We all find our ways and finding it is the magic! I remember taking typing classes in high school. I typed so fast that straight out of high school I got a well-paying job as a Title Clerk at the License Bureau. I left that to work with preschool kids, but typing was always my “thing”! After my cognitive impairment from multiple head injuries occurred my left side took the “hit”! I live alone so I see my device as a lifesaver, too, if that makes sense? Sending hugs and love your way! 💛💕🤗
Big hugs back Karla 🫶🏻✨💖
I feel them! 💛
Our dependencies on technology is turning into a curse beyond our anticipation. From social unrest to communal hatred, all it takes is a FB self-created video that goes viral and instigates people to go on a public rampage.
So true and scary. I’m sorry, I only just found your comment in my spam folder. WordPress is a pain sometimes. Thankyou sincerely for reading and commenting 😊