Getting "lost" while interacting with your phone is ok, I think. It demonstrates you became completely focused on the content. This happens to almost everytime I listen to an audiobook or someone reads to me ( I was read to a lot while growing up). That "focus" is really when one is employing enough mental energy to enter into that creative world that exists as imagination/mental imagery. It is easiest when the presented material is of interest, well-prepared, and excellent in presentation.
Several years ago I had a one way commute of about thirty five minutes, and I listened to audio books. There were times I traveled miles with little actual awareness I was driving. It was a little sobering, but those roads were lightly traveled. More than once I've been "jerked" back to reality from that place the creative imagination beckons one into. Music is sometimes like it as well.
I find it is completely different from the concentration serious reading takes, even when the subject matter in of interest. There's all that decoding, translating, sorting, and evaluation, especially with educational material. Fiction is a whole other matter, and the rich and juicy world of creative imagining is activated. If we both listened to the same thing, I'd be surprised if our mental creations were the same; similarities maybe, but still, only maybe.
The loss of reading and writing skills simply beggars my understanding. The concomitant losses of mental processing, understanding, and reasoning across diverse knowledge fields is a bit distressing. I don't know what education has become, but it is mostly a thing I no longer recognize.
My usual response and/or rationale for devotion to our phones is that what is on or available on our phones may be more interesting than what is happening around us. Plus the smartphone is more versatile than a book.
Indeed, a smartphone is more versatile than books. My eyes are so bad I have difficulties handling books, for they're not easy to keep at hand length to be able to read...
Yes it generally is more interesting. But in the other hand whatever you are reading should not remove you from what is going on around you. That is what happened to me and I found it rather disconcerting. And yes it’s a lot more versatile than a book .
Thank you for sharing your experience. It's a subject that's been on my mind a lot, these last months.
Before I continue, I have to tell you that I am really shocked to learn that kids in your country don't seem to be reached how to write cursive! I'm glad my french neighbor girl showed me her first writings about 2 years ago... Most girls love to learn how to write, as far as I experienced.
Back to the phone.
I figure that for me, my phone is a huge library where I can get information and tbh a tool against loneliness. When you know that people around you aren't interested in things that deeply affect me. The apps, I mainly use them to have a peek at far away family members. Which I often haven't seen for 20 years or so. Friends abroad too. With closer friends and family abroad we'll just use the application to chat and have free of charge phone calls.
To me Substack has become more than a source of information. When reaching out to some people here, I found human kindness that really helps me when I feel down. You're one of them.
Although I mainly use my phone at home while being alone, it does distract me from what's happening in the world outside. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes because time goes by very quickly.
The one exception are that will have me put aside my phone are the dogs I'm taking care of... Their needs have first priority and make me put aside my phone a lot. Funny thing: my dog will show me when it's time to put the phone aside, in bed.
It's so much more convenient to me than having a husband doing that 😂
I am so glad you like my writing and I feel truly touched by what you wrote truly 💖
I too use my phone and computer to reach out to the wider world as well. One of the things I dealt with when my boys were young was loneliness. 30 years ago when you were alone with special needs children you were really alone. The internet has opened up alot of information and community too.
I also dont mind being distracted from the world outside. It has been very overwhelming lately with everything going on.
Yes, I remember that 30 years ago we were just switching to Windows in my Dutch company.
Having special needs children and being "different" at that time meant feeling and being alone and isolated.
About what's going on in the world today... tbh I've got rid of TV and computers over 6 years ago. I try to keep updated on information that concerns things that touch me.
We cannot carry the burden of the world but it's a good thing to be able to reach out to people carrying common burdens worldwide.
By now the phone has replaced the PC for me and many other people. Although it gets annoying with all prefab apps and meta, each time we have to get a new phone - only because their lifespan being too short. Dreadful. I guess I'm getting old.
I often wonder whether people are aware of how they're being manipulated into consuming anything - just by turning on that TV... Bias info included.
The sages knew eons ago, that individually we truly cannot effect world events. It is why the Talmud tells us that to have save a single life is to have saved the world. Just be good, kind and do your best.
Getting "lost" while interacting with your phone is ok, I think. It demonstrates you became completely focused on the content. This happens to almost everytime I listen to an audiobook or someone reads to me ( I was read to a lot while growing up). That "focus" is really when one is employing enough mental energy to enter into that creative world that exists as imagination/mental imagery. It is easiest when the presented material is of interest, well-prepared, and excellent in presentation.
Several years ago I had a one way commute of about thirty five minutes, and I listened to audio books. There were times I traveled miles with little actual awareness I was driving. It was a little sobering, but those roads were lightly traveled. More than once I've been "jerked" back to reality from that place the creative imagination beckons one into. Music is sometimes like it as well.
I find it is completely different from the concentration serious reading takes, even when the subject matter in of interest. There's all that decoding, translating, sorting, and evaluation, especially with educational material. Fiction is a whole other matter, and the rich and juicy world of creative imagining is activated. If we both listened to the same thing, I'd be surprised if our mental creations were the same; similarities maybe, but still, only maybe.
The loss of reading and writing skills simply beggars my understanding. The concomitant losses of mental processing, understanding, and reasoning across diverse knowledge fields is a bit distressing. I don't know what education has become, but it is mostly a thing I no longer recognize.
I really enjoyed this post.
Thanks for such a thoughtful comment. Thanks for the compliment :)
My usual response and/or rationale for devotion to our phones is that what is on or available on our phones may be more interesting than what is happening around us. Plus the smartphone is more versatile than a book.
Indeed, a smartphone is more versatile than books. My eyes are so bad I have difficulties handling books, for they're not easy to keep at hand length to be able to read...
tech definitely lets us fiddle with type size😉
Yes it generally is more interesting. But in the other hand whatever you are reading should not remove you from what is going on around you. That is what happened to me and I found it rather disconcerting. And yes it’s a lot more versatile than a book .
Thank you for sharing your experience. It's a subject that's been on my mind a lot, these last months.
Before I continue, I have to tell you that I am really shocked to learn that kids in your country don't seem to be reached how to write cursive! I'm glad my french neighbor girl showed me her first writings about 2 years ago... Most girls love to learn how to write, as far as I experienced.
Back to the phone.
I figure that for me, my phone is a huge library where I can get information and tbh a tool against loneliness. When you know that people around you aren't interested in things that deeply affect me. The apps, I mainly use them to have a peek at far away family members. Which I often haven't seen for 20 years or so. Friends abroad too. With closer friends and family abroad we'll just use the application to chat and have free of charge phone calls.
To me Substack has become more than a source of information. When reaching out to some people here, I found human kindness that really helps me when I feel down. You're one of them.
Although I mainly use my phone at home while being alone, it does distract me from what's happening in the world outside. Sometimes on purpose, sometimes because time goes by very quickly.
The one exception are that will have me put aside my phone are the dogs I'm taking care of... Their needs have first priority and make me put aside my phone a lot. Funny thing: my dog will show me when it's time to put the phone aside, in bed.
It's so much more convenient to me than having a husband doing that 😂
Thank you for writing, please continue.
I am so glad you like my writing and I feel truly touched by what you wrote truly 💖
I too use my phone and computer to reach out to the wider world as well. One of the things I dealt with when my boys were young was loneliness. 30 years ago when you were alone with special needs children you were really alone. The internet has opened up alot of information and community too.
I also dont mind being distracted from the world outside. It has been very overwhelming lately with everything going on.
And dogs, dogs are the best aren’t they?
Yes, I remember that 30 years ago we were just switching to Windows in my Dutch company.
Having special needs children and being "different" at that time meant feeling and being alone and isolated.
About what's going on in the world today... tbh I've got rid of TV and computers over 6 years ago. I try to keep updated on information that concerns things that touch me.
We cannot carry the burden of the world but it's a good thing to be able to reach out to people carrying common burdens worldwide.
By now the phone has replaced the PC for me and many other people. Although it gets annoying with all prefab apps and meta, each time we have to get a new phone - only because their lifespan being too short. Dreadful. I guess I'm getting old.
I often wonder whether people are aware of how they're being manipulated into consuming anything - just by turning on that TV... Bias info included.
And YES dogs are the best ❣️
Well, please save a little room for cats! 😉
Oh my goodness, cats yes of course! I love cats, too.
The sages knew eons ago, that individually we truly cannot effect world events. It is why the Talmud tells us that to have save a single life is to have saved the world. Just be good, kind and do your best.