Airplane mode

A New Approach

We all tend to spend more time on our cell phones than we actually need to. This issue has become increasingly concerning, not only among adults but also among young people and children.

This phenomenon is becoming more frequent and more noticeable mainly because we’ve witnessed significant advancements in cell phones themselves. Their constant updates, as well as the features they’ve gained over the years, mean that we’re using them in one way or another to perform certain tasks that we would previously have completed with another device.

Consider the quality of the cameras now included in the latest cell phone models. And beyond the cameras, we can also focus on data transmission capabilities, as well as the ability to make video calls with high-quality sound and video, without significant associated costs. In this regard, the loyalty plans offered by other telecommunications providers have also played an important role. As these plans became more widely available and competition among providers intensified, they were forced to compete in a market that demanded ever-increasing amounts of mobile data without raising monthly fees to access it.

A vicious cycle then began. Apps were becoming increasingly sophisticated and required devices that could handle them better—devices that were faster and more efficient—which meant that the limitation would once again shift to the software development side.

Nowadays, it’s rare to find a cell phone user who is merely a consumer of content. Many young people are already regular content creators on other social media platforms and messaging apps.

With the development of Artificial Intelligence, it’s practically at our fingertips and available on any communication device.

The desktop computer has thus been gradually replaced by something lighter, more portable, and that allows us to stay connected almost constantly.

But all this progress comes at a cost. A cost that, unless we’re able to look at ourselves from “above,” we’ll never see. We immediately assume that our lives have been simplified. Our trips to the supermarket, cashless payments, and identification and authentication processes are all handled without us having to open our wallets to pull out an ID.

But at what cost? Are we willing to give up everything for so little? If we look closely, the companies operating in this digital space know the value they can extract from our constant and unhealthy fixation on the small screen.

We walk down the street with our eyes fixed downward, without ever even looking straight ahead… We’re caught in an endless, miserable cycle of scrolling that will never end.

Recently, I noticed that when I was on my way to the gym—and even while I was working out and on my way home—even though I was often listening to a podcast, I was sometimes interrupted by notifications from other apps, which distracted me from focusing solely on the route, my workout, or the voice of the host or hosts.

I decided to do something to counteract this persistent and disruptive annoyance.

I started downloading podcast episodes, which allows me to keep my phone in airplane mode from the moment I leave home until I return. I don’t need an internet connection, and if something catches my interest—for example, something I want to capture with a photo—I can do so quickly, since my phone isn’t turned off.

I only implemented this small change three days ago, but today—just the third day—I’ve already begun to notice significant changes in my attention to everything around me.

I’m the one who has the cell phone—it’s not the other way around, with the phone “having” me to satisfy something it thinks needs a response.

There’s rarely anything that requires a quick, urgent, and immediate response. Of course, the possibility is always there, but learning to manage that anxiety—and realizing that life goes on even when we’re not paying attention to it—is something fundamental that has brought me greater peace of mind.

And what about you? What’s your opinion on restricting children and young people’s access to certain platforms or social media? Do you think this is something for which only parents or guardians should be held responsible, or, on the other hand, do you believe that governments should act now—and quickly—to protect the minds of the people who, in just a few years, will be our best professionals and the future of our nation?

^{Image by Javaistan from Pixabay}
^{Original text written by @xrayman in Portuguese and translated with DeepL.com (free version)}