Learn How to Use Technology, Karen!

Hi everyone!!!

    Today I am going to be writing about kinda a controversial topic, which is cell phone usage. Something I am curious to know more about is what the majority of people think about the overuse of cell phones. Some questions I will be asking throughout my post are going to be: "Do you think cell phone overuse is a thing?, "Do only old people think we use our cell phones too much?", and maybe even "Do you use your cell phone too much?". Now all I am asking is as you follow along, be honest with yourself - OK GO!

    In today's society, cell phones are obviously very popular. Smartphones became extremely popular around 2007. I was about seven years old when the first true smartphone came out and I was twelve years old when I received my first smartphone (CRAZYYY). Before my smartphone, I did have a flip phone - which was the pink Razor (of course!!!) and a blue Blackberry. When you are young, phones are SO COOL and I am not exactly sure why but they just made you feel so grown up and on top of the world. However, when I secured my first iPhone 3 that was a complete other level of feeling AWESOMENESS. The amount of time I spent on my phone as a twelve year old was probably not healthy at all. With that being said, I will answer my first question which was, "Do you think cell phone overuse is a thing?" - my answer to this will obviously be a big YES. I remember thinking that if I was not constantly checking my social media or seeing who texted me, that I was going to miss out on something important or cool. Whis is funny because this is exactly what created my FOMO (fear of missing out - this is a real thing)!!!

    For my next question - I threw this one in here for ALLL the youngsters out there, "Do only old people think we use our cell phones too much?". Now, nothing irritates me more than an older person commenting on how often I use my devices - my only thought process when they are saying something to me is "Sorry you don't know how to use technology, Karen!". Sadly, I do kinda agree that the older generation does believe this of the younger generation, but that is not to say that the younger generation does not believe the same thing. I have noticed that society has completely transformed into promoting more mental health in everyone's lives, which is awesome. But something our generation and society itself has recognized is how much we use social media and how mentally draining it can be. Technology is only going to grow bigger, better, and faster - but as long as we are able to control ourselves then there really should be no such thing as "cell phone overuse". 

    As technology continues to evolve, so will your social media and the amount of smart products you buy. So my last question is asking more of a direct question for YOU (whoever is reading this - A.K.A Dr. Vrooman), "Do you use your cell phone too much?". Personally, I do use my cell phone a lot - it is that ONE thing that I take everywhere and I would definitely have a complete meltdown if I lost it. For one of our class assignments we had to do a couple challenges to limit our phone use. Most smartphones have the ability to track your daily and weekly screen time. During my challenge, one of the first steps was tracking my screen time, which the majority of it was social media. As I continue each challenge, I will have to agree and honestly say- yes I do use my phone a little more than I would like. But I am a firm believer that if you want to change something then you can do it yourself, or in other words - your actions are based on the decisions you choose. 

    Technology is never going to go away, and as much as all the grandma's and grandpa's want it to - it will only continue to grow. I am not writing this post to tell you what to do or what is right and wrong, I am just asking you to be honest with yourself and get you thinking about whether or not YOU spend too much time on your phone. If you are someone who really hates the fact that you use so much screen time, change that about yourself. If you are someone who really does not care and wants to continue to use your phone every second of your life, go for it. So to all you girls, guys, grandpas, and grandmas - live life to the fullest, phone and ALL ! #teamiPhone!