Completely Controlled: Technology is slowly controlling our lives, so we should take breaks from our phones.

After a seven-hour online school day, I make a bagel while blasting “All Night Longer” on my phone. I then FaceTime my friend to rant about our hours of virtual APUSH notes we have to do for homework, and finish my night by watching “The Parent Trap” with my mom to wind down. 

In one way or another, technology is involved in almost every aspect of our lives — and this isn’t a good thing. 

With the coronavirus outbreak, we’re relying on technology more than ever. You can’t make plans without using your phone. In these weird times, sometimes the only form of communication with the outside world is Facetime or iMessage, both of which are through a screen. Something as little as checking the weather app to plan your outfit involves technology. 

That’s the problem. We’ve become so numb to using screens for almost every task of our day that we don’t even realize how often we are on our phones. Technology is slowly becoming the most important part of our lives — including mine. One way to help this lack of productivity is physically setting my phone away from me while I’m studying or during online school to stop myself from constantly looking at it. Creating physical distance is good for both your mind and your body. 

According to Care Well Urgent Care, looking at a screen can lead to an increased risk of weight gain, vision issues, poor sleep and chronic back pain. This means that the tiny glowing square that you stare at all day not only takes up time, but leads to several physical effects. 

And the effects can be more serious than a bad night of sleep. According to Business Insider, staring at a screen can lead to Computer Vision Syndrome, which symptoms include eye strain, blurred vision and headaches. This can lead to permanent vision damage. Since 1971, cases of nearsightedness have nearly doubled. 

It’s not just the brightness of the screen that’s showing effects, but it’s also the color. Business Insider also states that the blue light released from the phone affects our sleep when we sleep at night. When someone gets tired they start to produce melatonin, and many studies have shown that the blue light disrupts the release of that hormone. 

The effects of screens can start out physical, but can quickly turn to mental. Technology can become addictive, and social media can be toxic, creating drama and hurting people’s self-esteem. 

My average screen time report is seven hours. That’s seven hours spent scrolling either scrolling through Instagram, responding to Snap Chats or getting lost in my TikTok for you page. Seven hours I could have spent doing something productive like studying for the ACT or doing my Calc worksheet. 

The most startling part of the report was my time on social media. Five of my seven hours each day were spent wasting away on the endless realms of social media — which can be toxic in so many ways.  

A quick look at SnapMap brings on immediate feelings of FOMO seeing which friends are hanging out without you. A scroll through TikTok is filled with videos of gorgeous girls whose comments say things like “body goals” and “Can I look like this,” quickly putting self-degrading thoughts in your mind. Social media leaves me constantly comparing myself to others and wondering if I’m enough — and it can get addictive. 

Instead of doing those things, I should be studying for the PSAT or going on a run. I should spend more time living in the moment then worrying about what’s going on in social media. 

In the middle of every bio lab, APUSH worksheet or any homework, I can’t stop myself from looking at my phone. The moment I wake up or get in my car, it’s the first thing I reach for. When I go to camp every summer, leaving me without my phone for four weeks, I looked for my phone before realising that I don’t have it at least five times each day during the first week. One way to fix this is to make an effort to put your phone far away from you to stop the temptation of grabbing it.  

My mom’s famous line, “Sydney you’re addicted to your phone,” is ingrained in my brain. I always laughed it off and tell her she’s being dramatic, but recently I’ve started to think she’s right. And I’ve noticed all my friends are in the same boat, especially during online school. We need to learn to interact with others in person and spend more time outside, whether that’s reading a book or playing with your dogs. However you do it, try to spend more time disconnecting from technology and social media — with things like cancel culture and body shaming going on, it’s more important now than ever.  

It’s easy to lose track of. You need to go get to a new restaurant, a quick look at google maps get you there. You need to check in with a friend, you shoot them a quick text message. As we get older, almost everything we do involves our phones, or at least some form of technology. 

Don’t get my wrong, technology is incredibly helpful. But it needs to be balanced. Go for a walk and leave your phone at home. Go on a drive with a family member and focus on the present. Whatever you’re doing, try to purposefully take breaks from your phone. I need to learn to distance myself from my phone, and you should too.