Most of us will never sign up for a 12-step program to address our electronics-addiction issues. Twelve is a lot. Have you ever tried to make a dozen-egg omelette? I rest my case.
With that in mind, I present BIG Media’s 6-Step Program to Overcome Our Electronics Addiction:
6. Realize that we have a problem. Most of us can do this by covering our smartphone home screens with paper, and adding a check mark every time we look at our phones.
5. Track closely and document how we spend our time over one week. Determine how much time was unproductive related to our time on phones, computers, TVs, and other tech devices. We need not go cold turkey, but, for almost all of us, technology is gobbling up far too much of what should be time enjoying free range.
4. Make a pledge to be more concerned about our own lives and those around us than about Johnny, Amber, Will, Jada, Chris, Kourtney, Khloé, Caitlyn, Kris, Kendall, and Kylie. (I had to use Google to get most of these names, so I have a good start on this step.) We have a natural inclination to feel like we are part of the big scandals, but we are not. Let’s give ourselves some credit and create our own stories … hopefully not overly scandalous.
3. Escape the 24-hour news cycle. The mainstream media companies cannot help but deliver a consistent barrage of garbage. Almost all of the “breaking” news is broken – sensationalism through cherry picking of data and “expert” sources chosen to prove a theory or maximize readership, rather than to reveal truth and important context. See Top 5 Ways Mainstream Media Pull The Wool Over Our Eyes for more on this topic. Find trustworthy news sources that prioritize education over clicks and profits. Such sources are difficult to find, but my exhaustive research turned up one excellent candidate: BIG Media.
2. Humbly ask the Supreme Creator (God/Allah/Elon) to eliminate our shortcomings.
1. Go for a hike up a mountain or through a forest or park … without looking at your phone. Regularly.
