Managing our technology dependence

"People will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think." Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves To Death

In Neil Postman's book 1985 book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, he expresses his fear that modern media (television) is fundamentally changing how Americans think and communicate.  But, as should be clear from the above quotation, Postman's fears are even more relevant when applied to today's media technologies like smart phones and tablets.

If you know me, you know that I'm a huge fan of technology. I have a huge Googling problem, can't stay off of Amazon, and have a serious dependency on my smart phone and all of its fancy skills. It's recognition of my own behaviors that makes me take seriously this article from Psych Central about compulsive use of mobile devices. The article cites a Baylor University study that was published in the Journal of Behavior Addictions. While there is some debate about how to classify "behavioral addictions," there is a growing consensus that people do develop obsessive behaviors around certain activities, like checking a cell phone.

But, given my own love of technology, you're not going to hear me argue for banning or completely abstaining from use of all these new mobile devices.  That said, I also believe that self-reflection is a critical component of self-improvement, and that modern technology, especially mobile devices, is a major destroyer of self-reflection time. As modern people, I think we need to be conscious of how we manage our technology use.  I think we should all try to set aside some technology-free time in our lives, and I have some suggestions . . . .
The Ancient Greeks carved into the temple at Delphi the words "Know Thyself" and "Nothing to Excess."  They knew the importance of self-reflection and its role in personal growth.  How can we "know ourselves" if we don't spend time reflecting on our lives, our emotions, and our thoughts?

I'm not arguing for anything extreme.  But I think we all would benefit from structuring some technology-free time into our lives.  Depending on your level of dependency it could be something as simple as leaving your phone in your room when you take a shower.  

If you're a person who wakes up in the night to check Twitter, send texts, or scan Facebook, it could mean leaving your phone somewhere outside your bedroom when it's time to sleep.  I know you use your phone as an "alarm clock;" that's what all the heavy users say, but alarm clocks have been around for hundreds of years--I'm sure you can find something else wake you up.

Or, maybe, more radically, it could mean setting aside 10-15 minutes of every day (or every few days), where you willingly put your phone and your tablet and your other devices (Xbox, PS3) away and just be.  Go for a walk.  Go for run.  Or, dare I say it, read a book, but without checking your phone every few minutes or being interrupted by its buzzing and calls for your attention.