It begins with the thumb twitching and fingers itching to switch on our “smartphone” with half-closed eyes in the middle of the night. One then expectantly logs onto a news channel, a newspaper update, or simply social media outlets in anticipation of a changed world, which simply does not happen.
This is followed by scrambling through one’s WhatsApp messages and Facebook posts. If you are looking for challenges, LinkedIn is the way to go, and if you cannot resist your impulses, X and Instagram are there. If this is beginning to sound like a scene from a horror movie, hold on, take a deep breath, and reflect on what is simply your addiction to your smartphone—surely a misnomer by all counts.
This familiar scenario is playing out day in and day out in all parts of the Earth, where, in the name of development and progress, we have bartered away our meditation and reflection time, replaced our exercise and healthy living habits, and sacrificed our most precious family time.
The whole world is sliding into this quicksand, with no helping hand available to extricate the mass of humanity, losing its soul to its own innovation
This phenomenon has spared neither the baby boomers nor Gen Z and subsequent generations. It transcends the Prime Minister’s and President’s offices as well as the security guard’s and gardener’s domains.
The whole world is sliding into this quicksand, with no helping hand available to extricate the mass of humanity, losing its soul to its own innovation. It is perhaps as destructive to humanity as weapons of mass destruction, with the only difference being an absence of deep insight into its destructive potential.
Today, I am admitting to my own addiction and stepping out of my denial zone! After deep reflection, I am determined to limit my smartphone time, rename it “Idiotphone” to remind me of my mostly foolish behaviour, and try to reclaim my spiritual space, my family and friend relationships, my education time, and most importantly, my TIME, which is a clock ticking away towards a full stop.
Let us all overcome the Idotphone habit, which it always was!