SUN, sea, sand … but no smartphone.
After two years of lockdowns, it was weird to be heading abroad for our summer holidays.
Weird in a good way, of course.
Weirder still, though, was that I was leaving my mobile phone behind.
It’s company issue and doesn’t roam, so there was no point letting it tag along for the ride.
I like to think I’m not particularly in thrall to the gadget. It’s purely functional and a tool of my trade. Right? Hmmm. Now I’m not so sure.
I confess I felt a little on edge powering it down and shutting it away in a drawer.
How would I pick up emails without being able to receive those really annoying authentication texts? Well, stupid, they’re work emails and you’re meant to be on holiday.
What if I have to do some online banking and need a security code sent to me? When have I ever needed to do online banking abroad?
How about accessing the NHS app, which has my Covid status? Ever considered a paper print-out?
Photies? Face it – I’m really rubbish at taking pictures.
What if someone tries to actually phone me? Anyone who would phone knows I’m on leave … so wouldn’t phone anyway. Family and friends have my husband’s number.
So all my initial panicky questions had very straightforward answers.
I started to breathe more easily.
Then a wee light went on. It was dawning on me that being without my smartphone might actually be rather liberating.
No matter how hard you try to stop yourself when you’re not working, the temptation is always there to check emails … and there’s always one in your inbox that is a source of concern.
This fortnight, however, I remain blissfully in the dark.
No social media. No anti-social media.
As for the various WhatsApp channels, it’s so peaceful without those pings.
On our flight out, I reckon I was possibly the only passenger not hooked up to a device.
I read a book instead.
I remember nagging our son when he was a youngster about the time he spent glued to his phone.
There have been numerous studies showing the negative effects on children of too much screen time. But what about the impacts on the adult brain?
Research published by Science Direct in 2020 found that people who have smartphone addiction had problems with the part of their brain responsible for transmitting messages and poor cognitive performance.
As well as changes in cognition, a report by Reid Health also listed insomnia, eye strain, headaches, addictive behaviours, neck, shoulder and back pain and a reduction in physical activity levels as all being linked to overuse of smartphones. It says that experts recommend adults should limit screen time outside of work to less than two hours per day. Any time beyond that which you would typically spend on screens should instead be spent participating in physical activity.
But the reality is not so easy when your device is pinging and buzzing, pleading for attention.
Phoneless and fancy free – it’s good being on holiday from my mobile.
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