You’ve all seen people do these things. In fact, odds are that you are doing or have been doing a number of these bad habits. That’s okay. Phones are designed in such a way to induce addictive behaviour. But fear not; all bad habits can be broken, and usually, the first step in breaking the bad habit is to be aware of its grip over you.
The Smartphone Sins
Talking lout while in public. This is a major pet peeve for a lot of people. Talking loud is bad enough; talking loud in a place where everyone is expected to talk quietly (in a bus, for example). You are exposed to some other person’s personal life, and such conversations can even go into ‘too much info’ category.
Glancing at phone while with other people. Easy access to smartphones means that people can contact everyone anytime – even people who are more interesting than the ones we are having a live conversation right now. This is an issue of impulse control; the other person might be interesting, but there’s always someone more interesting online. However, this generally implies a general disrespect for the person we’re communicating with in person.
Loud music and clips. Similar to the first annoying habit we have listed above, this includes heightened noise levels when you’re around; however, unlike the loud talker, here you don’t need an actual other person to be obnoxious. Use earphones; it is much more considerate to people in your general area.
Recording performances. While you’re at a concert or some other performance, how many people record it with their phones? Count them. Then assume how many of them will actually listen to that performance, or worse yet, show it to other people. In most cases, the answer is same: zero. Recorded performances have horrid sound quality and none of the atmosphere of the actual event.
Using a phone wile driving. The danger here is clear – in fact, certain studies show that the smartphone usage will become the leading cause of accidents in proximate future. Driving requires our full concentration, and people all too easily dedicate that full concentration to the phone conversation.
Taking photos all the time. If you are taking photos of every alley cat, of every restaurant dish served, you should consider your priorities. Place a limit – take only 5 photos per day, or select 20 best photos from previous month and delete the rest.
Conclusion
Phones are terrific devices that have allowed us to reach unprecedented heights in personal communication. However, they shouldn’t turn into a bad habit. Life is so much greater than that device in your hands – enjoy the sunset, conversation with your loved ones, a casual game in a casino online or simply chill with your friends. Master your smartphone, don’t let it master you.
