Do You Still Use a Pacifier?

Imagine a grown adult sucking on a cellphone.

That'd be pretty weird, right?

Well, it's happening.

(In a way.)

Listen.

Since I switched over to my Jelly Star phone, my screentime has plummeted.

As a result, I spend more of my time looking forward instead of looking downward.

And you know what I've noticed?

People cannot handle NOT being constantly stimulated. Their phone is needed during every free moment. They're like pacifiers for their brains. (That's where I was going with the "sucking" intro. I wasn't just being weird.)

Seriously, go to the gym (without your headphones, pussy), and take a look around.

People are either exercising (nice) or breaking their neck by looking down at their phone (not nice).

What the hell happened to resting? And no, checking your phone isn't resting. Do you honestly think that stimulating the hell outta your brain is letting it rest?

This isn't just happening at gyms, either.

Take a look around when you're in a line at the supermarket.

What do you see? Phone, phone, phone.

At the doctor's office? Phone, phone, phone.

At a FUCKING red light? Phone, phone, goddamn phone.

Just like babies who get so used to pacifiers that they NEED them to sleep, many people are so used to having their phones stimulate them so much that they NEED them to live.

I'm not being that hyperbolic, either. You know for a fact that some people cry or get cranky when they can't use their phones. When they’re not pacified.

So, what's the big deal? Who cares if people use their phones all the time? Well, here are a few issues:

• People’s brains are going to atrophy because they never need to use them to deal with anything.

• People are relying on something other than their own brain for comfort.

• It’s like having a security blanket that breaks your neck and poisons your brain.

People who already suffer from brain-rot will say:

• It’s normal.

• It’s not a big deal.

• I can stop whenever I want (addict mindset).

• What else am I supposed to do during downtime?

I get it. I used to be like that. I instinctively used my phone between sets at the gym, while waiting on lines, while in bed at night and in the morning, etc. Eventually, I started to view mindless phone use as harmful to my brain (which it is). Since then, my brain has become more active and useful.

Being a non-permascoller has some pretty decent benefits.

• You’ll get to know yourself more.

• You can get more use out of your brain.

• You won't be uncomfortable at the slightest hint of silence.

If you were born after... 2003(?), you've probably always had a smartphone, so using it less would be like handicapping yourself. But you can do it. Your ancestors didn't have them, and they didn't die from idle moments, so you'll be fine.

Give this a shot:

1. Move your phone from its usual place. Leave it with your keys and wallet.

2. When picking up your phone is not an automatic action, you'll become more aware of it.

3. When you become more aware of it, you’re more likely to notice your usage and change it. For the better.