Turn Off Your Smartphone, Turn On Your Life

It’s an epidemic amongst basically everyone in the Western world – we all have smartphones and we’re all obsessed with them. It doesn’t matter if they’re for work or play; the fact is these little gadgets are running our lives. We’re even breaking the typical “no-no” rules for smartphone use (at the movies, during class, on a date, at the dinner table, while on vacation, etc.) in order to spend every waking minute on our smartphones.

When was the last time you spent an entire day without using your smartphone? I bet most of you really had to think about that one and I bet the answer across the board is “since before I got my smartphone” or “since the last time my smartphone broke.” And we totally relate: I don’t know about the rest of the BlackBerry users out there, but I am personally controlled by that flashing red light. I. Just. Can’t. Help. Myself. I NEED to check it. For those that switched to an iPhone or other device in the past few years, the flashing red light was likely one of the features we missed the most.

We’re all completely controlled by this need to be connected because of how easy it is to do via our smartphones and the reality is that our smartphones are taking us away from our lives.

For example, say you’re out for lunch with a friend. As per typical social media protocol, you check into the restaurant on foursquare or Facebook, look busy and play a game or text a friend (because your friend’s late and you don’t want to just be sitting there doing nothing when he/she arrives,)  tweet pics of your meal and iChat with a few other friends. This time spent with our heads buried in Smartphone Land is replacing the quality time you and your friend set up to have lunch together in the first place.

Why not enjoy your experience on a personal level instead of making sure your social network is also along for the ride? There’s something to be said for having a little mystery and not posting your every move online or not answering your Smartphone for a couple hours. And hey, not putting every last detail online saves material for in-person conversations, instead of your friends saying, “Great story but I already know because I saw it on Facebook.” Talk about a conversation-ender.

So, our challenge to you (and to ourselves?)… Take some much needed time away from your smartphone (maybe a few hours, maybe a week) and get back to your life, your REAL life!

Let us know how it goes. Share with us in the comments section below!  Or, maybe just post it on our Facebook wall from your Smartphone

https://www.facebook.com/myBlueprint

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