Millennials are often the victims of gross generalizations, most of which are disheartening because they only apply to a small portion of the teenage and 20-something population and happen to make the rest of us look bad.
Still, one Millennial stereotype is hard to dispute because it is glaringly present – we are glued to our cellphones.
This is coming from someone who has been unapologetically aware of her phone at all times for the better part of her cellphone-owning life. But, in the spirit of new year”s resolutions and thanks to a little introspection, I”ve realized that while the smartphone is an incredible tool, it can also serve as an incredible waste of time. That”s why in 2016 I”ve chosen to be more aware of how often I”m holding the tiny screen in front of my face, as well as the content I consume while I do so – and here”s why everyone else should, too.
First, it”s easy to say, “I”m not addicted to my iPhone, I need it for work,” or maybe, “I live away from home and this is how I stay in contact with people – I”m not unnaturally dependent on my phone.” I”ve pacified a few concerned onlookers with these excuses, and on first glance they are valid.
Lyndsie Kiebert
Most of the communication for my job takes place over Facebook, and living away from home means spending more time calling, texting and Facebook stalking my loved ones than seeing them in person. In this sense, the smartphone is an incredible tool – but recently I realized that these excuses are not all that they seem.
While I do use Facebook for work, the app has become an undeniable time sucker. I might open a notification saying that someone posted an announcement in the staff group, but then 30 minutes later I”m watching a cat video my sister posted or scrolling through comments on a post about the baby mama drama back home.
And as far as using my phone to stay in contact with my parents, sisters, friends and long distance boyfriend – that excuse is hard to dispute. But something to consider is what I”m missing out on in the moment while my main concern is whether I check my text messages every 10 minutes.
After ignoring my cellphone for one hour, I might have two insignificant Facebook notifications and one non-urgent text. If I”d let myself get sucked into Facebook or into a conversation that could wait, who knows how much time I”d have spent on my phone during that hour.
While I love my phone and all the things I can do with it, it”s easy to forget that dependency on a small device is actually pretty silly.
In 2016, I plan to continue using my phone for all the same purposes as last year, but with a renewed understanding that while I may not feel I can live without it, putting my phone away for a few hours at a time will not kill me.
People will still call and text whether I am holding that tiny screen in my palm or not. If they don”t, I”ll be too busy to notice.
Lyndsie Kiebert can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @lyndsie_kiebert