Join the conversation & let us know your thoughts.
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In our latest article we discuss the significant impact of smartphones on mental well-being. In it, we highlight concerns about the mental health effects associated with prolonged smartphone use, especially in relation to social media, in addition to the addictive nature of smartphones, the impact of social media on self-esteem and depression, the disruption of sleep due to blue light exposure, and the paradox of digital connectivity leading to feelings of isolation.
My question to you guys: Have you ever felt addicted to your smartphone, and how has this affected your daily life and mental health?
If mindful tech use is already part of your life, how do you balance your online and offline interactions, and what strategies have you found effective in maintaining this balance?
I look forward to reading your responses.
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Thank you, @urszula, for a thought-provoking article!
My Story from a Half-Marathon Finisher Chute
I recently completed a half-marathon that had a ātraffic jamā immediately after the finish line, due to me finishing with a large ābolusā of other runners and due to a rather narrow finishing āchuteā through which we finishers had to pass so as to enter a convention center.
What struck me about that traffic jam is the relative quiet among maybe 150 fellow finishers while we took baby steps to move quite slowly through the finishing chute.
The quiet was due to nearly everyone looking at his or her cellphone. In contrast, I had my flip phone in airplane mode throughout the race and felt no desire to deactivate airplane mode while in the finishing chute.
I found this experience dehumanizing, as if I were surrounded by zombies. We finishers were not socializing with one another ā celebrating race completions by others who were strangers but had just shared a meaningful accomplishment!
Instead, I wanted to get away from the other finishers and found that I could squeeze past other finishers because they were so engaged with their cellphones.
The celebratory joy of shared accomplishment among strangers was missing.
So, I can say that MY cellphone in the finisher chute did not affect my mental health. Instead, how others used THEIR cellphones temporarily affected my mental health.
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I have seen bizarre videos about this new Apple āinnovation,ā showing people driving and walking the streets. Iām at a loss for words to describe this insanity.
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@roberto: I know a 22-year-old whom I NEVER see without her iPhone 14 in one of her hands, which already is demoralizing enough. Did you take that photo of those diners? That image is crushingly demoralizing with respect to my view of the future of humanity. That image made me think of the book Smartphones Do Not Give Hugs, about which I just learned (but have not yet read).
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I saw it on Twitter. I believe it is in the US, as sales of the Apple Vision Pro are limited there at the moment.
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@roberto The pictures you posted are just bizarre. I mean, maybe Iām just old, but I donāt understand the allure of this. Being constantly connected to the digital realm is exhausting mentally.
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@justyna_latoszek Maybe theyāre gaming 
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Haha, now you talking, @urszula! But seriouslyā¦ still, too much.
(Dear Community, Iām a gamer, this is why Urszula is jokeing about it :D)
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Apple, once again disconnecting users from people around them!
Until now, AirPods forced us to ask āAre you talking to me?ā when someone wearing them looked directly at us and said something, given that we did not know whether that person was in a telephone call.
Now, Vision Pro will make it worse. We will see someone looking at us and will not know whether that person is instead looking at what an iPhone is displaying.
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I went through our old thread about these Apple GOGGLES & I didnāt disappoint
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I must say: This is surrealā¦
https://twitter.com/HumansNoContext/status/1755344908783636551
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That thread aged accurately.
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@roberto The END is definitely near.
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But the end of what? The end of humanity? The end of technological development?
Or perhaps the end of an era where we unquestioningly embrace all novelties (although I believe that with every revolution, there have always been concerns and a large dose of criticism, apocalyptic visions)?
Observing the world, I like to think this way: the world is changing, we are changing, and not always do I agree with the direction of these changes. Sometimes I am apprehensive about it, but above all, I see opportunities in it.
Right now, I see an opportunity for us to realize that, as a human species, we canāt simply go on as before, and we may start exploring alternatives.
I observe myself, I observe my child, and I see that technological progress is inevitable. However, my awareness of this fact allows me to make wise choices. If my spine hurts from sitting all night and playing games (video games, @urszula :P) with friends, itās not the fault of the game but my own choice.
Let progress happen, and letās be mindful. (Falling asleep with Harmony, not with the phone :D)
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@justyna_latoszek Hereās the issue I often struggle with: Yes, while technology has undoubtedly brought about significant benefits, its rapid evolution is also reshaping human behaviors in ways that could potentially undermine aspects of the human experience.
The rise of social media and digital communication platforms has significantly altered the way humans interact. While these technologies have made it easier to stay connected with others across great distances, they have also led to concerns about the superficiality of online interactions and the erosion of face-to-face communication skills. Some argue that the prevalence of digital communication is reducing the quality of human relationships and leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness. We do have a loneliness epidemic & Iāve written about it on our blog
Additionally, the digital age has brought about significant concerns regarding privacy. With the vast amount of personal information available online, and the ability of companies and governments to track and analyze individual behaviors, there are valid concerns that technology is normalizing a culture of surveillance and eroding the concept of personal privacy. We talk about this constantly here on the forum, with many of our community members, like @kirkmahoneyphd & @roberto sharing very informative articles on the topic.
Finally, there is growing evidence to suggest that excessive use of technology, especially social media, can have adverse effects on mental health, contributing to issues such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Our blog features many articles discussing how the constant comparison with others, cyberbullying, and the pressure to be available 24/7 are some ways in which technology can negatively impact well-being.
So I think itās very important to be mindful about our tech use and itās important for us to engage in ongoing dialogue about these changes, balancing the benefits of technological advancements with the need to preserve core human values and well-being.
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Certainly! Excessive, inattentive use. Itās hard to protect oneself or defend against it. For me, the fact that we started creating our products and have fans means that weāre providing people with the value they seek because they need it. Cool, isnāt it?
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