100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

Jane Stephens: disconnect from mobile phones, for the sake of our health 

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

Mum accused of poisoning child seeks protective custody

A lawyer for a woman accused of poisoning her one-year-old girl with unnecessary medications to gain a social media profile is seeking protective custody More

‘Close to capacity’: caravan and camping numbers ‘boom’

Increasing numbers of caravanners and campers are being attracted by the Sunshine Coast's natural beauty, new figures show. There were about 650,000 trips to holiday More

Proposed sport complex could create 300 jobs by 2027

More details about a proposed sport and recreation centre that could attract about 350,000 visitors each year have been revealed. Plans for the facility, which More

Brewing company expands with new waterside venue

A Sunshine Coast craft brewer combining its beer with food has opened in a third location. The Moffat Beach Brewing Co has pulled off a More

Work to start on key section of foreshore amid $13m boost

A revamp of a well-known beachside area is about to get underway, bolstered by a $13.3 million funding injection. Minor construction works for Stage 2 More

Photo of the day: footprints in the sand

A walk along Kings Beach at Caloundra is the perfect start to a day. This photo was taken by Ruth Fiechtner. If you have a photo More

Put the darned phone down.

It is an interloper, a menace, an invader, a time thief.

The addiction is real.

But if you dare say so, people nod sagely, shrugging. What can you do?

Our hand-held devices are used for far more than fun or socialising. They are a necessity in the everyday, and going without them is equivalent to shirking sleep or food.

But for health and balance in our lives, we must.

I am guilty of being tethered, even when I have the chance to disconnect.

What if someone needs to reach me urgently? What if something happens to one of my elderly parents?

We know emergencies are unlikely to happen in this particular window of time. We know that if they did, we would find out soon enough, just as we did in times past.

But even when My Beloved – the One who matters most to me – is nearby, my phone is kept within reach.

We all come up with excuses galore, reasoning our phones are now our camera, our eftpos access, our diary.

They are our hold-all, our everything.

Experts say the phone addiction works on the same part of the brain as alcohol or drugs. Picture: Shutterstock

But really, the core of it is our addiction.

Experts say the phone addiction works on the same part of the brain as alcohol or drugs, playing on our weakest points, tricking us into not being able to do without it.

It contributes to mental ill-health, poor sleep and (strangely) social disconnection.

The attention paid is out of control: a message from a beau during a bike ride needs an instant response; a friend posts a cute picture and a return emoji simply can’t wait.

Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor with your name and suburb at Sunshine Coast News via: news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au

We recently had a friend staying who was incapable of being away from her phone even when she stated her need to work on being present in the moment with the real people around her.

It was a struggle – her eyes flicking to her mini screen or her hand flying to the device whenever something amazing/fun/pretty occurred.

A beautiful sunrise was viewed through a lens. A smiling friend was captured virtually instead of savoured immediately.

My favourite addictive behaviour with phones is the face plant.

Addicts place their phones screen-side down, as if they are attentive to the conversation, but have hair-trigger reflexes at the sound of a notification.

Rest assured, the world will turn without you recording its rotation.

Dr Jane Stephens is a UniSC journalism lecturer, media commentator and writer.

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

Hidden
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share