So many people today are engrossed in their digital devices. Everyone has their own particular brand of poison, but there’s always something in common. Too much time is spent looking down at a phone or tablet and not enough time is spent reflecting or meditating. It’s time for a brain break.
Neuroscience has shown that something happens when we become too dependent on technology, especially when we obsess over things like social media. A recent article examined the ‘lessons learned’ concerning social media use. The authors found that smartphone addictions may be part of the social networking addiction. An average American user could be expected to spend over an hour and a half per day on social media sites. For some countries, the average approached nearly 4 hours, every day (Kuss, 2017).
Nomophobia, or the fear of being without your device (like a cell phone), is now a thing. It’s like we are afraid to miss something—anything! But what if, just imagine for a second, what if you could choose to slow down, and take a minute, and breathe?
Does this mean you should forever cancel your accounts and toss your smartphone in the garbage? Well, maybe. But that isn’t practical for most of us. You can learn to set your phone aside and instead spend some time meditating and working on improving YOU. Ask yourself, do you want to be at your peak performance or do you want to be sliding by with your face in your phone?
Meditation is the ultimate mobile device; you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.
Sharon Salzberg
Meditation, unlike social media, is nothing new. Practitioners stretch back far into the lost realms of time, but we can still learn so much. Your personal journey with meditation, should you choose to step onto that path, will likely always continue to bend and curve and lead you on.
The world is lacking qualified, competent, compassionate leadership. It isn’t just the regular people who are obsessed with technology. Looking at the current political climate makes it clear that we could all benefit from a break from digital devices. Let the movement start with you.
Unsure where to start? Set small goals. Research meditation techniques. Maybe pick up a book, or consider speaking to someone you know with experience. Sign up for a class, and step outside of your normal, comfortable, electronic zone. Instead of reaching for your phone, turn your thoughts inward and let your mind be still. Let your soul relax and stop worrying about who had a cocktail at lunch or who got a new skirt at the mall.
At the
Citation
Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). Social Networking Sites and Addiction: Ten Lessons Learned International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(3), 311. http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14030311