Every time a new technology comes along, people freak out. They imagine all the potential ways this new technology can hurt them. We’ve been doing this for a long time.
When the printing press was invented and books became widely available for the first time, people feared this invention because they thought it might lead to information overload and the public would suffer with the confusing and harmful abundance of books.
The New York Times attacked Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone in 1877 for its invasion of privacy. Mark Twain was an early adopter of the telephone but he had declined to invest in the new technology, thinking there was no widespread market for it.
When electricity made it into homes, President Benjamin Harrison had White House staff turn the lights on and off because he was scared of being electrocuted.
When radio was invented, oh my goodness! There are electric waves flowing through the air!
This isn’t a fear of, but a massive underestimation of a new technology: “Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.” – Darryl Zanuck, CEO, 20th Century Fox, 1946
Not too long ago people warned that cell phones would cause a massive outbreak of brain cancer because of the energy emanating from cell phones in the form of RF, or radio frequency waves. Lots of studies have been conducted, and, as a statement from the American Cancer Society demonstrates, there’s really no link between cell phones and cancer: “In summary, studies of [the effects of cell phone energy on people] published so far have not established a clear link between cell phone use and the development of tumors.”
Here’s something, however, this is harmful about cell phone use, at least smart phones:
While having tremendous benefits almost too numerous to list, there is a major drawback to smart phones: the more time you spend looking at a screen, the less happy you will be. To state that positively, less screen = more happy.
These little devices can be so addictive! I own an iPhone 12 Pro. I really like it. It’s wonderful. I enjoy the screen, it has great reception, it’s super fast, the camera is amazing. I’m into technology. I also own a 2020 iPad and a new M1 MacBook Pro that’s the boss. I’m no Luddite.
What’s a Luddite? Glad you asked: “Luddite: (derogatory) a person opposed to new technology or ways of working.”
The term goes back to nineteenth century England. A radical group of textile workers took their name from a man named Ned Ludd, who was a weaver. They opposed the introduction of machines that they feared would replace their jobs. A major conflict arose that led to a rebellion that was ultimately suppressed by police and the military. The term Luddite came to be used as a derogatory designation for a person who opposes the use of technology for whatever reason.
So, I’m not a Luddite. I quite enjoy new technology, even at times, just for new technology’s sake. I’m a true child of modernity.
Having said all of that, however, it’s obvious and measurable that less time on your smartphone, or iPad, or even computer, can contribute to your happiness, or psychological well-being.
Let’s jump into some statistics: A study published by the American Psychological Association in 2018 links increased screen time with lower levels of psychological well-being among adolescents. Those who spend less time in electronic communication were happier. As a teenager spends more time on screens, they decrease their happiness. Another study linked time spent online with less happiness.
Dr. Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University wrote a book titled, iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids are Growing up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy–and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood. She labels this new generation of young people iGen, obviously taken from the iPhone, iPad, etc. This is the Internet Generation.
She and her colleagues discovered that high school seniors spend, on average: 2 1/4 hours per day texting, 2 hours per day on the internet, 1 1/2 hours per day electronic gaming, and about a half hour on video chat. That’s a total of six hours a day, or 42 hours per week, or a full-time job tethered to a screen. Eighth graders, on average, spend 5 hours per day or 35 hours per week on screens. That’s a lot of time.
As young people spend all this time on smartphones, they’re spending less time reading books, less time reading magazines and newspapers, they’re also watching less television, which is probably a good thing, but the problem is they also spend far less time in face-to-face conversation with actual human beings.
Twenge demonstrates that from the 1990s, teens had been tracking upward in the percentage of those who considered themselves “very happy.” However, since 2011, that percentage has sharply declined. Along with this decline, the number of twelfth graders who are satisfied with their lives as a whole and with themselves has declined even more sharply. During the same period, since 2011, the percentage of teens who feel lonely “a lot of the time” has sharply increased.
Guess what happened in 2011? That’s when we looked up from our own phones are realized just about everyone around us has a phone in his or her hands.
It’s a really destructive formula: More screen time + less in-person social interaction + less physical activity = more loneliness + less happiness + more anxiety + more depression.
Adults aren’t out of the woods. They, too, are spending a disproportionate amount of time on their phones. The typical adult spends around 4 hours per day on screen time. That’s 28 hours per week.
I find it amazing that as technology companies like FaceBook, Twitter, Google, and Apple dream up new ways to keep us glued to our screens, the executives in this industry admit they limit screen time for their own children. They’re busy selling you on how great it is to spend time on your phone or tablet while at they guard their own children from the deleterious effects of screen time.
Here are some tips for limiting screen time so you can spend more time maximizing happiness. We all need to develop structures and habits in your life to limit screen time.
Make a phone garage, a place to put your phone when you want to separate yourself from it so you can focus on other, more productive things, like relationships or reading.
When out with your friends, put your phone on airplane mode. It’s a great way to make sure you’re not getting buzzed with notifications when with your friends. You can still use your phone for taking pictures, etc. but it won’t be a distraction during conversations.
Get a hobby that doesn’t include your phone. The options are limitless. What do you enjoy? What are you good at? How can you tap into your creativity? Doing so might expose you to a greater circle of acquaintances and potential friendships.
Block out time on your schedule for phone-free study or focus or whatever keeps your attention. Take time for activities and adventures that prove more life-giving than simply staring at the latest fashion on Instagram or the silly video on Tik Tok.
There’s a great big world outside your phone. Phones are terrific tools for communication but they’re lousy masters.
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Check out the Video Version Here: Cultivate Happiness YouTube Channel