I had to go grab my phone to comment on this. 😂😂😂 But it is certainly hard to cut back, I just let my phone die now, tbh. Easy to stop using a dead phone.
I'm currently reading a book called "How to break up with your phone" by Catherine Price and it's freaking me out a bit. Ok a lot. She talks about neuroscience and how our phones amplifies anxiety and depression and reduces our attention span, and a lot of other interestingly scary facts about our phones. The first part of the book is designed to freak you out, and the second part is a 30 days action plan to build healthier habits with your phone. I highly recommend it !!!
Uggh! I did something similar. I went on a tv fast (no Netflix, Hulu, Disney, cable, etc. for 30 days) but guess what bad habit I picked up? You guessed right! TH-cam! 🤣 What a waste of a fast!
This couldn’t come at a better time for me, Mayim. I’m struggling with severe depression, and I’m pretty sure my phone addiction is a major part of the problem. I wake up much too late every morning and then spend hours scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, looking at the lives of other people, instead of getting up and living my own life. I might begin by not bringing my phone to the bedroom every night. If it’s downstairs, maybe I’ll be more motivated to get out of bed.
I didn’t think I was a slave to my phone until someone said, “Did you realize if you spend two hours a day on your phone you are actually spending a month out of the year on your phone?” That was eye opening:
@@avishajain3557 Hi! Mine was an average of 8 hours a day. I changed this 4 weeks ago by making a plan for myself and I feel great!! My plan has been to first of all STOP using my phone whilst doing other things, which I think was a horrible constant noise for my head. No more phone while washing my face, brushing my teeth, taking a shower, cooking dinner, eating, going to the bathroom etc. Second thing was a time window of no screentime during a productive time of the day, to inspire myself to do things I love or need to do. This for me has been 12-15 in the afternoon, and I finally finished my book, played more on my guitar again and finished so many chores that were bugging me in the back of my brain! I didn’t force myself too much for all the other hours of the day, basic agreement with myself was that I wanted to live mindful of whatever it is I am doing. On your phone you lose touch of your actual life, heart and soul, and that really is such a waste…. I had all these videos I watched daily, and now I can’t be bothered to listen to strangers’ drama and lives. I feel calmer, present, and aware of my life again. I didn’t force certain apps of my phone, just don’t allow them at certain times of the day, or in areas of the house, like the shower, my bed, etc. If I choose to sit on the couch after 3 PM and watch something, I can. The joke is usually I am already doing something else by that point that I find more fulfilling. I halved my screentime immediately and it has already greatly improved my life. I knew this needed to be done, but you need to make an honest pact with yourself and know it is actually much harder to live with your phone glued to your face than to change it. So again, good strategy: - No more phone in the background (like listening to TH-cam videos while doing other stuff like cooking, brushing teeth etc.) Living mindfully = also consuming content mindfully. Keep yourself on the couch if you want to watch “TV”. If that means you are nót doing the dishes, put your phone away and do the dishes, instead of lying to yourself and taking your phone with you. - No social media like Instagram and TH-cam in bed. After 9 my phone gets put away and I ONLY allow myself ASMR at bedtime, for now. Bed and bedroom are for resting. - Choose a time window in the morning or early afternoon of 3 hours (or more) where you put your phone away. This will be the time that you have to do something that else! Be curious about this time and what you will decide to do with it :). Go for it!!!! P.s. I still find brushing my teeth and washing my face at night a horribly boring thing to do, but I suck it up and just do it without Reddit stories ;). I know my mind is adjusting!
I know how you feel. So many kids are addicted to electronics phones tablets computers tv shows. Their bringing tablets and electronics into school instead of doing school work old school it's on a tablet. Not all the work but a good majority of it. Its ridiculous. My moms always on her phone my sisters always on her phone my kids are becoming addicted I hate it. I restrict phone use tablet use and tv to a curtain time frame through the day. I have to be strict about it.
I was discussing cellphone addiction with my mom, and how it affects people a few weeks agi. One of the points that came up is that people are always saying that you need to get off your phone, go do something outside, go play, or whatever they happen to say, but what I'm finding is that its much harder to do that now. I am a teenager, and everyone I know is always on their phones, and so you cant go out and play with your friends, and the world is so much more antisocial now, like almost all of the activities you are told to do are more fun with other people, but you dont have other people to do it with, and so you just feel alone. And then people wonder why you say there is nothing to do outside, or why you want to use your phone so much. I think that ine of the reasons people are so addicted to phones now is because we are naturally social creatures, and they have become one of the only ways to stay in contact with people. But I wish that smartphones didn't exist, and that we just went back to flip phones or whatever, so that we could just have a happier life. Cellphones make you feel so isolated, but at the same time they make you feel connected. I find that with the whole cellphone issue there are so many different sides, but they all seem to be rooted in having cellphones in general, because these problems didnt exist before cellphones were invented
Dez B Back in the early 80s I used our small portable tv in the bathroom in junior high to high school. I would forget it in there sometimes and some of the slightly older adults would think in was lazy or something to have a tv in there. Which didn't make sense to me because how is staring at a wall any better? Anyway, they are hypocrites now cause they use smartphones in the bathroom. lol
The first change was watching this all the way through without scrolling through something else. It's so tempting, but I'm tired of disappointing the people around me with my addiction to my phone. First day of trying to better myself; wish me luck!
Phone is turned off as soon as my wife gets home for work, and only turned on as I leave for work the next day. Saturday and Sunday on at 9am and off at 6pm. Works for me.
This has been a huge issue for me that I've been taking steps to tackle this summer. I too usually reach for my phone first thing in the morning, so I bought an actual alarm clock and I now charge my phone in a different room at night. The alarm clock glows really calming colors so after I wake up, I lay in bed and stretch with the room gently illuminated. During this time, my husband and I tell each other about our dreams. That sure beats scrolling through my news feed first thing in the morning!
I deleted Facebook a week before the crash and $120B loss... it has been hard, but I've stopped automatically reaching for the app when I'm bored.... now I grab my book.
I have been Facebook free for 6 months and it’s great. You’ll realize that you only log on as something to do when you’re bored - and once you find something productive to replace that time, you won’t miss it at all. I still keep in touch with people - it’s just in a more meaningful way now.
I feel like I was always searching to be with other people when smartphones didnt exist. When i was a kid I was constantly at my cousins, with friends or my grandmas. Smartphones are so isolating, because you feel like you're interacting with the world or people but you really arent.
I think smart phones have been great for introverts. And isolating for extroverts. I'm an extrovert, and I definitely feel it. Hanging out with people nowadays feels like staring at everyone staring at their phones until they find a cat video or random meme to show everyone. Then we'll all laugh, make a few comments about it, and the smart phone wall is back up. It's frankly, a waste if time, most days.
Started reading again for entertainment! Hard at first, but it felt so good I kept going. Now I reach for a book instead of social media, at least most of the time.
Thank you for addressing this issue. It breaks my heart to see parents and kids out at dinner, shopping, etc where the child and or parents are glued to the screen. I use our time out to talk to my infant, I point things out and we talk about what we are doing and what we see. She loves to people watch! The comment she receives most often is how alert she looks. I like to attribute that to limited screen time. Of course this means I’ve had to keep the tv off at home as well. 🙆🏻♀️
I needed this!! Thank you! I've been using my phone as an escape. Being a person that suffers from ADD, severe anxiety, PTSD, and depression....It's easy to become enveloped in a world where I can complete things and feel good....in that moment. It's not lasting satisfaction and in the end makes me feel worse but yet I keep diving into the fantasy. Games, emails, text messages, to do list for things to complete ON my phone (I hope this isn't just me), shows, vlogs, blogs, news, etc....can all be completed in an instant. Real life tasks are difficult and long and when I don't get through them completely it makes me feel worthless and broken. This makes me go BACK to my phone.... It's a vicious cycle. I'm hoping to take your tips and apply them and to not be too hard on myself if I stumble.
iheartigloos one day at a time. Or half day. If you take longer to complete a task, it’s ok, just keep going; life is not a race. You have the next increment of time. Reward yourself when you do finish, with something small but nice. Like playing on the phone or an ice cream cone:) have a great day!
Yes, yes, yes! Pen and paper! It's one of the best ways to remember anything. It causes our brain to slow down and actually process information when we write it down! I, often, silence my phone when I'm with people, so I don't get interrupted, or interrupt them, with calls and notifications. As you said, there are very few things that are actually time sensitive. I prefer to just check it a few times during the day and respond when it's convenient for me. So, please, people stop the madness! There's never a good reason to text and drive, or text and walk!!! Be safe and look up, it's probably a beautiful day!
Ramona Schober And leave a message, for crying out loud. I may be in my no answering mode. You called me...if you didn't want to talk to me, why did you call? Leave a msg and I'll call you back when I'm back on my phone.
Ramona Schober I always lost my lists; now I NEVER do. They’re always on my phone! I can track my grocery spending, and anything else I want to create a history. Now if I could organize and store receipts... I know there’s the technology to do it but I don’t have it. I’m simplifying my life *using* my phone, not the other way around!
kathryn witte I organize my receipts with my phone by taking pictures of them and keeping them in Evernote. Then the actual slips of papers for trivial things I can discard and for things with warranties or that I might return I will keep in a box that I try to declutter once a year or so.
I always carry a book with me so if I'm waiting for class or riding the bus I can read. I feel like you are using your time better and you somehow look more approachable! I didn't get myself a smartphone until I was seventeen so I had plenty of years of watching other people and learning what I didn't want to become.
We have implemented a couple of new rules for this school year. One is tablets/technology on the weekends only. Also, we read from 7:30-8:00 every night. It has to be a physical book, and we have to be in the same room together. It has made the first week of school much more calm. I'm very excited about this family endeavor. When the alarm goes off to put the book away, we give each kiddo a hug and tell them something positive. I *might* have started this for a selfish reason, ok, two selfish reasons, but it works for everyone. My middle schoolers have to keep reading logs for school, and that time guarantees they meet their reading goals each week. Also, I really need the quiet in the evening, and it gets all of us off technology for at least a set amount of time.
Thanks for posting this Mayim! I think about this a lot. Here's 5 that I do: 1. I keep a separate mail app on my phone for work, so there's one place where I can see if I got a personal email and one place where I see if I got a work email. It helps me separate areas of my life, especially making decisions about what is urgent to respond to. 2. I try to charge my phone at night somewhere where it's not in reach while I'm in bed so I /can't/ fall asleep to scrolling, or wake up to my phone (sometimes I give myself a break on this though, haha). 3. I try to keep my phone in my purse while I am out at a meal, so I'm not tempted to scroll while I'm spending time with friends. If I do get my phone out I have to make a conscious choice about it. I try to leave my phone in the other room when I am eating dinner with family. If I do need to have my phone on hand, I keep it face down. 4. If I see that I am wasting time on an app I will delete it for a while, and re-download it when I feel like I've re-centered. 5. I turned off the notifications for things that aren't really important to me. I don't need the notifications that most of my apps try to send me, especially social media. I turned off the sounds *and lock screen banners* for emails. If I'm expecting an urgent email, I will turn the sounds back on temporarily. I feel like there must be more, and I do most of the things you mentioned too! "Du Courage" and good work to everyone trying to make conscious choices about the role of their smart phone in their life.
I enjoyed deleting my Facebook account over a year ago and don't miss it at all. I like to go out and leave my phone at home. Young people miss what is in front of there face. So agree with you 💖😘😘
Have you ever just watched your kids play at the park? I did today and it was hilarious. Usually I'm on the phone looking at nothing and missing out, looking up every few minutes to make sure they're fine. It was such a joy to watch them be silly and ridiculous.
Jennifer Somebody such a tough one! I always want to leave my phone in the car, but then I get a fear that I will miss a photo op that they wont remember without a picture, so I convince myself to take my phone....but always between those photo ops, I end up aimlessly checking something :(
Yeah, but try doing that ALL the time and it’ll get old. People still had had books or the newspaper or other distractions. In the time before phones there were just periods of nothingness and wasted time. I still don’t think people should be scrolling through facebook for hours a day, but to entirely discredit a phone and assume most people are wasting time on social media is ridiculous. There are amazing things to be done on a phone. Download an app to learn a new language by spending 10minutes a day, practice meditation, learn a programming language. Read a book with Overdrive or Libby! Research personal interests, play a game, organize your life with a calendar, use evernote to create notes and markdown thoughts. Make a blog, join an interest group or plan rl meetups for that group, write a journal. There are great and healthy uses for a phone and it’s ridiculous that people can’t see past that. It’s not about being a slave, it’s about being smart. Turn off all your notifications for things that don’t matter. If you don’t run a business on social media, turn off sound notifications. Use sounds only for sms & calls. Push notifications for emails and badges to show you a little number. Part of checking your phone all the time has to do with being reminded audibly. Break the pattern or if you are going to use it do something responsible with it.
Tenshi We don't spend hours at a time at a park so the 20-30 minutes we are there, I think I'll continue to watch and laugh at the stories and weird little adventures they come up with and leave learning a new language for when they're at school or the youngest is napping. All of these moments will be gone soon (and I'm by no means the type of person who is a "CHERISH EVERY SECOND" mom) so I'll continue to do what I think works for me and I wish you luck on whatever it is that works for you.
Kitty cuteness!!!! 😻😻😻😻 I will use my phone till the battery dies then won't touch it the whole time it's charging. By the time it's done charging, I won't want to use it because I'm so into other activities 👍🏻
The good old days...landlines, books, conversation. Miss them like a good friend....and good conversation. Wish everyone would unplug at family functions, dinners, etc.
Melinda S Simpson I still have a landline, I still read books and I still go out with friends and have real conversations. Then I go home and the first thing I reach for is my iPad. It’s all good!😉
I personally think it is rude to be at a family dinner and just texting away on a smart phone. You are there to enjoy someone's company, not "share" what you're looking at separately. (why I hate the employee lounge....everyone is just into their phones...only a few of us "old folks" actually talk to each other.)
I'm trying to break that habit but it's so hard! I got to stop reaching for my phone in the mornings. I do like drawing, go for walks and learning to crochet. Thanks for the tips Mayim!
The problem with those activities for me is I can do them while listening to a TH-cam on my phone. Reading and writing are the two activities that keep me away from my phone. Also walking without my phone - although, in the beginning, I freaked that I wasn’t getting mileage registered on my phone and I had to remind myself that the exercise was real, even if my iPhone didn’t tell me it had happened!
I phones. Are very addictive. This world is not a better place for all of our technology.....we are less caring, less sharing, less humane. Tablets n laptops are just as addictive. I am housebound....so my tablet is my window upon the world. Now I must return to reading books (I always read a great deal) n spending more time with my feral cats....trying to tame. Mayim you are talking a mile a minute.......time to meditate!!!! Greetings from Canada 🍁💞🍀
I turn my phone volume up and set my phone in the middle of the house as if it were a house phone and leave it there. If its important they will call me. I also made it so I dont get notifications.
More power to you. I have started weaning myself off the phone, too. I pulled a wrist watch out of a drawer and started wearing it again. That eliminated at least 30 times a day grabbing the phone.
I've turned off nearly all my notifications. Especially for social media. I've trained myself to look at things a couple times a day (at most), but not to be constantly interrupted by chimes, whistles, vibrations, and icons. I think we're quickly losing the ability to focus because the constant interruptions are fragmenting our awareness. When I go to dinner with a friend, the phone stays in the car. Not in my hand. Not on the table. In the car. I'm there to connect with that person. Not use the phone with a person next to me. Not to turn a visit into an endless "sharing" of data on screens. I'm glad you mentioned the no-phone-in-the-morning-in-bed piece. That was next on my list and now it's going to happen. People get mad at you if you don't return a text or message immediately, because they assume you are symbiotically attached to your device the way they are. No one knows how to wait because no one has to wait. Thanks for the ideas!
Yes smart-phones are truly distracting and really reduces attention span. Nice post ! What I do is, 1. keeping a plain old table clock near bed so that I don't search for smartphone in the morning to check the time. And yes, this "positive affirmation thought/quote" or sitting in silence is super effective 2. Keeping bare minimum social network app (Ex: only whatsapp) to keep in touch. Many people I have seen using Whatsapp, Messenger, Telegram, Facetime, Skype, Viber all at the same time. I don't understand this. They all serve the same purpose then what's the point to be distracted by all the notification 3. Keeping the notification off. In my higher study, I learned this is called "Hollywood style" :D . That I would call you , you(the job seeker) don't need to call me(the directors/other film related person) constantly. So, if I need I would proactively check the App so no need to get its notification all the time 4. Really identifying what's needed and install as minimum as needed possible Apps. I'm learning a new language so I installed a super cool podcast app and in my travel or in my way I always listen to App in this language and it is super helpful 5. Reading books in Paperbacks than on smartphones 6. Keeping the Internet off and switching it on only 2-3 times or predefined times as per your need. A phone's purpose is to receive and deliver call. So, if someone really need to contact he/she will call. These small changes really helped me. I recognized that , if I maintain this it grows my attention. So I now know the benefits. But honestly it's sometimes hard to stick to it. That's the part I'm struggling with :D ..... But I think I could hack my mind and these are all doable.
Completely agree!! The only thing I’d add is, although I like paper physical books, I love my Kobo digital reader just for convenience. This stops lock in to the other manufacturers ecosystem where there is no way you can transfer books, already paid for, to any other device.
MissMargaret Yes! I was really good at remembering phone numbers. I came across a pay phone a couple of years ago, and burst into a fit of laughter. I didn’t know they still existed! My favorite memory is replacing the phone cord with an extra long one. 😂
vila111 my first cell phone was one of those classic Nokia phones everyone had. My dad had a car phone in the 80s for work and we thought he was the shit.
Thank you for your advices. I realised I really have phone addiction longer time ago but wasn't able to do so much about it. You are such a motivation to me to take babysteps to change my way of life
This is great and I'm very grateful to you for speaking so publicly about this! Some of the "boundaris" I've adopted is doing a social media fast every January. I limit myself to only Facebook on social media (again, to limit scrolling addiction), and every January, I stop checking it. The first few days I have the habit of wanting to go to it to mindlessly scroll, but stop myself. I'm always amazed at how much more clear-headed I am at the end of the month (and sometimes I don't go back for another few weeks or months). I also have rules like I'm not to check my phone when I'm standing in line, waiting for someone, sitting at restaurant while my guest goes to the bathroom, etc. I make a point to be in the moment, look around, and just be a 90s kid :) Thanks again Mayim - this is so important!
100% try the black and white function in the settings to avoid TH-cam - probably even helps with the news scrolling! Love it, great that we feel so much the same on this ☺️
I have no social media on my phone. All of that (that is, Facebook and Twitter) is only on the computer. I no longer have the TH-cam notification bell activated for any daily-upload channels. If I’m with someone having a meal or coffee or whatever, phone stays in my pocket unless I’m showing them something on it. It helps having an iPhone 5C, because that ancient piece of crap is so slow I don’t even want to use it half the time. If you like to read, read a physical book. A paper book will never beep and give you notifications.
Claudia Kerssemakers not sure if that was what happened. I'm pretty sure it was just an editing mistake. Trust me I know I've done the same thing before. Besides if she was going to end the video on a metaphor she would tell us.
I have 2 college degrees, never got a smartphone. It's driving friends crazy, I can't 'get that app' they're crazy about or their coupon, or their latest pic. I don't care. I do love the voicemail feature on the cellphones. It answers for me and if/when I want to text or call, I can do anything I NEED to do with it. The tech at the AT&T store last week called my girls' iphone6, 'dinosaurs' and my slider phone, a Samsung Evergreen, 'a fossil', 2010? I've dropped it a hundred times and it just snaps back together. One time I replaced the battery for a longer lasting charge. The AT&T tech said upgrade is 'free' and a 'savings'. No, it isn't. Nothing is free and Nothing is a 'savings' unless you are making a deposit in my name at my bank, and I guarantee, you don't know my bank. People ignoring the world for their phone is truly a Sickness of 2018. I'm glad you're back in control! ; )
I have my LG EnV which flips open with a full keyboard. My husband gets so frustrated that I don't have a smart phone. I completely embrace new technology, but when smartphones came out, I had no desire for one. I still have to look at a map before I leave the house if I'm going somewhere new. If I get lost, oh well. Maybe I'll see something interesting during my aimless driving around.
That's awesome, ladies! It's nice to know there are a few of us who are looking up and enjoying the real world around us! It's just too easy to get caught up in the idea that every little thing is "time sensitive", or "urgent". Advances in technology are great and can be quite helpful sometimes. Other times, they seem to create more frustration and stress. It's important to recognize what options are available and choose those things that work to create happiness and cohesiveness in our lives! Be well and have a lovely day!
Karyn B that’s true, my carrier did the same with me. That’s an absurd that I had the same iphone5 for more than 3 years. I don’t agree with this savage capitalism that’s taking place everywhere and increasing so much violence because they need to have the last cellphone. I feel myself very addicted to my smartphone and I really want to be free. I’m really considering to have those old stile just to make calls. Very nice video. ❤️
Karyn B I applaud you. I’m pursuing my second degree as well, and I find myself getting distracted and not studying because I’m looking at something on my phone (hence why I’m watching this video). I do enjoy all the features of a smartphone, I just want to be more detached to it than I am. I remember when I used to read novels in my spare time. Now, I haven’t read a non school related book in years!
I Just realized how addicted I am ...especially searching for horrible news. It' s overwelming to think everything is urgent and important. Thank you so much for those tips.
Currently watching this from my smartphone, which was the first thing I grabbed after waking up, and I was scrolling through TH-cam's homepage for no reason.
When my husband comes home from work I turn off my phone and disconnect just to be completely capable of holding a really conversation with him about our day. I also leave my phone at home when we go out somewhere together.
Yay Jetsons! I, too, sometimes leave my phone in the car. I am so grateful that I grew up walking through the woods, riding my bike, Playing basketball. I'm older and have a difficult time limiting my phone use. I do have a love of books though. Sometimes I make cookbook things and ban myself from those addictive recipe videos. More often, though, I binge watch 30 ways to make something and then make it. Big problem for us all. Creates a lot of worry when we are constantly bombarded with tragedy and doom and gloom.
Thank you so much for this video. I am also struggling with not being a slave to my phone. What I did was to buy an alarm clock so I neither take my phone with me to the bedroom in the evening nor it is the first thing I encounter with in the morning. The alarm clock helps me a lot. 🌞
Mayim, I love your great ideas....our lives sadly revolve around the Almighty Cell Phone. I try to not depend on mine in increments, cutting back by 15-20 minutes each day, leaving the phone in the bedroom at mealtimes, etc. Trying to be more present. Great topic, let's keep the conversation going !
Mayim, congratulations for taking the initiative! Consciously detaching phone use time from other activities, such as eating or drinking a cup of tea to decompress, is one good tactic. Instead of reaching out for the device in those moments, it's about becoming acquainted again with the silence and the "nothingness". Sometimes it works better than others, but it's about creating new pathways for wellbeing!
I often travel to East Africa and will go for days at a time with no service, and I can't tell you how AMAZING it is. I sleep great. Time goes slower. I don't have the constant urge to look at my phone every 3 minutes. And then upon returning to the US....ugh. Ding. Ding. Ding. I love/hate/but mostly hate phones and what they have done to us all. Good on ya for putting this cat back in the bag!
I diligently turn my phone off every night and every Sunday all day. Yes there's some anxiety but it has helped me spend a lot more meaningful time with myself and my family. Also. Huge fan 😊
It's truly amazing that what initially was a need overtime becomes a want disguised as a need. I was about 12 when I got my first (basic) mobile phone 13 years ago only due to my dads ill health. It was literally able to call and text. That was it. Now I'm somewhat addicted to scrolling social media on a smartphone. 2019 is the year I aim to reduce my social media consumption, instead focusing on reading and learning.
I never hit the notification button. I figure I'll catch it in my subscription list of videos. Besides, I don't want TH-cam telling me when to watch the videos. Who has time for that kind of negativity.
You can get "notified" when you go on youtube or if you're already on. No need to have notifications sent to your phone. l like if l'm on youtube watching something and a page l really love has a livestream or a new post. Hate to miss the live stream but l choose to not get it if l'm not online.
I just stumbled upon your channel, and I have watched your videos about being vegan, breathing, and losing the phones back to back. I am super inspired and I hope you continue to inspire more people !!
Yes! Awareness is key... sometimes I catch myself mid scroll and say to myself "is this the best use of my time right now?" That instantly snaps me out of it. Also, one thing I found super helpful in the morning is to generate a dopamine hit through working out, even a 15min sweat can do the trick - before checking mail and messages.
So I have this problem. I'm a gamer. But recently I do not play games often. Each day i watch TH-cam till 4 a.m. . And I will be like "Wait this video is interesting,I must watch" and that goes on and i couldn't stop
Me too. I think telling ourselves "so little is urgent and time sensitive" again and again would be helpful. It must start with wanting to watch that one TH-cam video and saying no and not watching it.
Let's get back to old school ways of communicating. Less Facebook and no TV and no cell phones at the dinner table. It makes for fine conversation with the family...etc.
I feel the same " A slave to my phone". Thank you for sharing this video. Can use some of your tricks to incorporate into my life. What i have tried is swtiching off my phone while i cook , shower or eat dinner.
Awww I do so agree with the "inspiration of boredom". We actually need boredom, I swear. Great video Mayim, I wish you happiness and the will power to leave your phone in your car. Technology is a good servant but a bad master. (that's from not me, I just happen to think it sums everything up really well)
I'm a slave to my phone but I have been getting better at being not so dependent on it. I bought a planner for note taking I also leave my phone at home when going out with friends. I was born in 93 so I remember prank calling people on our land line phone and hearing the awful dial up tone when wanting to go onto yahoo kids and the barbie website. I also remember watching the Jetsons \the Flinstones because they had re-runs playing on cartoon network back when it was still called Hannah Barbarah.
This is true. I’m a 90s baby and my family literally used to sit around the table and eat dinner having a full blown conversation. No phones. No nothing. Nowadays you only see things like that in movies lol
Great video! I left my phone in the car the other day while eating out with a loved one and it was a game changer. It forced me to keep the conversation going and to enjoy real time, real life interaction. Definitely implementing this more!
Our son (13)doesn’t have a phone so if he uses one of ours it’s the one hour limit. I am on my one hour of phone fun time right now so congrats Mayim, your channel made the cut. Lol.
I miss them too. I remember coming home from work and checking my messages. Somehow everyone was perfectly fine with that, nowadays people have to check their phones constantly. It's crazy.
I call my phone "my smokes". When I was a smoker, I never went anywhere without my "smokes". I find that my phone is exactly this. If I walk out the door even to go to the store to pick up something quick, I always seem to think that I need to take my "smokes". Great video and a great reminder of how things once were and it was not that long ago. The "smart phone" and its 100% connected life is a pretty recent phenomenon that is only about 10-12 years old. I quit smoking 22 years ago after a heart attack, and never reached for one again since. What will be my defining moment for the dropping of my other "smokes"
This immediacy scares me! Tottaly Truth! Dr. Biliak, I'm brazilian and I can't separate the Blossom's Image! Forgive me, but the memory here is really strong! Shalom!
I am incredibly close to deleting all of my social media accounts. They are the main reason that I constantly look at my smartphone. Without them, I imagine I will only pick it up a few times a day if that. I haven't deleted them yet, but I am on the verge of doing so. I'm just getting more and more fed up with technology and the fakeness of social media these days. Technology should not own us. We should own technology. Enough is enough already.
Ava Goodman good on you Ava! I need to delete my social. My problem is, I don’t post. I just scroll and scroll and scroll. And if I don’t do that I’m watching videos. And if not that then searching things on the web. I spend so much time head down :( if it wasn’t for family who live outside of this country, I would seriously get a brick phone I’m actually considering it.....
Wonderful video! Thanks so much for sharing honesty and giving ways to deal with the terrible phone addiction that has creeped into society and our very own homes. Your personality is fireeee. Be blessed!!!
I remember calling my friends and leaving messages to their family, or waiting 2 hours for a friend in a park, because we couldn’t contact him lol. I lived that times as well. Oh, and searching info in a library, wow, I really appreciate where we are now with tech. We need to learn from this, not shut out the amazing tech we have now. Learn and adapt and balance. Because it,s advancing fast, and we need to adapt or frustrate ourselves with that. Lol Addie came on the video again. Btw don,t leave it in the car! Thieves are everywhere! And damn iPad keyboard, I can,t find some signs 😂😂
Regina rgbcn Yeah, that balance is really important. Technology is extremely useful, but when we dissociate ourselves from real live people, I think that's when we need to take a step back and think about where we stand alongside the technology today. There are so many things that are more preferable for your brain and for connections with other people than staring at a phone screen every 10 seconds!
You know having a way to hide from the world is a good thing and back then since there was no cell phones it was a blessing now if I do not answer the phone is 5 minutes people start thinking the worse "Has she fallen down the toilet or has she become deaf etc it ANNOYING :)
Regina rgbcn. These keyboards are not made for keyboarding (typing) as I am a very quick n accurate typist. ......but the keyboards are not designed for thar!!! One needs a physical keyboard in order to input the data
If I had to choose between searching for books in a library or using the internet for research and academic studies, I’d chosse the former, because I enjoy the experience. Sorry, google.
Hi Mayim, so tonight is the night that my smartphone is going to sleep in the bathroom cabinet. Tomorrow I will on my spend 30 minutes with my phone (ten minutes an interval) I cannot wait to be enriched. Goodbye phone addiction
I woke up one day and as I went to grab my celI...said out loud ..."No! Your not gonna get me today!" Just left the cel and went on with my day. At the end of that day I felt releafed and realized that I don't need it to survive hahahaha 😄
I absolutely adore you! I love how you caught your joke and your face was like "EH AHHH! That's punny! Go me!" I can relate to when you reminded yourself to breathe to calm down. You are my spirit person! You're so epic
I've actually thought about doing the affirmations thing a few times, read some affirmations I wrote down for myself, or read Marcus Aurelius Meditations or something, but I don't. I still reach for my phone as soon as I wake up, and my eyes haven't even focused yet, and I'm trying to focus them onto the news!! Thanks for all your tips and showing me that it can be done!
What's ironic is, I'm trying to stop my phone use, but I'm watching this on a phone.
kristopher barker yeah me too.
Me three, lol
I had to go grab my phone to comment on this. 😂😂😂
But it is certainly hard to cut back, I just let my phone die now, tbh. Easy to stop using a dead phone.
Same
kristopher barker - hahahaha!
Watching this instead of studying for my exam :')
You're not the only one 🙃
Me too! That Egypt exam will have to WAIT..
I'm not gonna pass it anyway!
I’m not gonna pass my entrance exam anyways-
Hehe
I'm currently reading a book called "How to break up with your phone" by Catherine Price and it's freaking me out a bit. Ok a lot. She talks about neuroscience and how our phones amplifies anxiety and depression and reduces our attention span, and a lot of other interestingly scary facts about our phones. The first part of the book is designed to freak you out, and the second part is a 30 days action plan to build healthier habits with your phone. I highly recommend it !!!
Sounds great
Rupin Lamistoufle it’s 9 months later! Did you break up with your phone?
thanks!
Thanks for the recommendation
David Lane I’m answering 7 months later so I guess I did 😁😎
I’ve literally watched 16 hours of TH-cam today because I deleted tiktok.....
HAHAH OMG well at least try to watch something educational right
I tried this trick for many times. But tiktok is really a new addition. I only survived 3 days and I installed it back
@mar same and i actually feel so desperate I need help. I watch 6 hours of continuous TH-cam like it's nothing
😂
Uggh! I did something similar. I went on a tv fast (no Netflix, Hulu, Disney, cable, etc. for 30 days) but guess what bad habit I picked up?
You guessed right! TH-cam! 🤣 What a waste of a fast!
This couldn’t come at a better time for me, Mayim. I’m struggling with severe depression, and I’m pretty sure my phone addiction is a major part of the problem. I wake up much too late every morning and then spend hours scrolling through Facebook and Instagram, looking at the lives of other people, instead of getting up and living my own life. I might begin by not bringing my phone to the bedroom every night. If it’s downstairs, maybe I’ll be more motivated to get out of bed.
Same!!!
Same!
I didn’t think I was a slave to my phone until someone said, “Did you realize if you spend two hours a day on your phone you are actually spending a month out of the year on your phone?” That was eye opening:
I guess I won’t tell you how many hours my Iphone tells me I’m on my phone every day…
@@M_K_M_K_M_K i spend at least 7 hours on my phone everyday. Somebody help me ;-;
@@avishajain3557 Hi! Mine was an average of 8 hours a day. I changed this 4 weeks ago by making a plan for myself and I feel great!! My plan has been to first of all STOP using my phone whilst doing other things, which I think was a horrible constant noise for my head. No more phone while washing my face, brushing my teeth, taking a shower, cooking dinner, eating, going to the bathroom etc. Second thing was a time window of no screentime during a productive time of the day, to inspire myself to do things I love or need to do. This for me has been 12-15 in the afternoon, and I finally finished my book, played more on my guitar again and finished so many chores that were bugging me in the back of my brain! I didn’t force myself too much for all the other hours of the day, basic agreement with myself was that I wanted to live mindful of whatever it is I am doing. On your phone you lose touch of your actual life, heart and soul, and that really is such a waste…. I had all these videos I watched daily, and now I can’t be bothered to listen to strangers’ drama and lives. I feel calmer, present, and aware of my life again. I didn’t force certain apps of my phone, just don’t allow them at certain times of the day, or in areas of the house, like the shower, my bed, etc. If I choose to sit on the couch after 3 PM and watch something, I can. The joke is usually I am already doing something else by that point that I find more fulfilling. I halved my screentime immediately and it has already greatly improved my life. I knew this needed to be done, but you need to make an honest pact with yourself and know it is actually much harder to live with your phone glued to your face than to change it.
So again, good strategy:
- No more phone in the background (like listening to TH-cam videos while doing other stuff like cooking, brushing teeth etc.) Living mindfully = also consuming content mindfully.
Keep yourself on the couch if you want to watch “TV”. If that means you are nót doing the dishes, put your phone away and do the dishes, instead of lying to yourself and taking your phone with you.
- No social media like Instagram and TH-cam in bed. After 9 my phone gets put away and I ONLY allow myself ASMR at bedtime, for now.
Bed and bedroom are for resting.
- Choose a time window in the morning or early afternoon of 3 hours (or more) where you put your phone away. This will be the time that you have to do something that else! Be curious about this time and what you will decide to do with it :).
Go for it!!!!
P.s. I still find brushing my teeth and washing my face at night a horribly boring thing to do, but I suck it up and just do it without Reddit stories ;). I know my mind is adjusting!
@@M_K_M_K_M_K thank you!!! also i’m super proud of you for how far you have come ! 💓
I spend 8 hours a day on my phone. 4 months of the year is spent on this stupid phone!
Wow i miss that pre cell phone world..............
I know how you feel. So many kids are addicted to electronics phones tablets computers tv shows. Their bringing tablets and electronics into school instead of doing school work old school it's on a tablet. Not all the work but a good majority of it. Its ridiculous. My moms always on her phone my sisters always on her phone my kids are becoming addicted I hate it. I restrict phone use tablet use and tv to a curtain time frame through the day. I have to be strict about it.
I miss it too
I agree. Before the web, I didn't have to use will power to avoid being addicted to it. I love/hate the web.
Me toooo. I miss it so much.
@@sonnyw941
Well it sucks to be YOU ✔
Inspired by boredom! Love that phrase!
I don't use any social media any more. I'm 26 and my friends think i'm crazy, but Fb, Instagram etc are stresfull to me so I don't want it in my life.
I only use TH-cam and Google plus.🖒🖒
Awesome! I got off FB, and only use twitter to promote videos and see what might be important in the poly-ticks world.
I totally agree.
Very good! Intelligent decision!
Actually the programs cause actual stress.
I was discussing cellphone addiction with my mom, and how it affects people a few weeks agi. One of the points that came up is that people are always saying that you need to get off your phone, go do something outside, go play, or whatever they happen to say, but what I'm finding is that its much harder to do that now. I am a teenager, and everyone I know is always on their phones, and so you cant go out and play with your friends, and the world is so much more antisocial now, like almost all of the activities you are told to do are more fun with other people, but you dont have other people to do it with, and so you just feel alone. And then people wonder why you say there is nothing to do outside, or why you want to use your phone so much. I think that ine of the reasons people are so addicted to phones now is because we are naturally social creatures, and they have become one of the only ways to stay in contact with people. But I wish that smartphones didn't exist, and that we just went back to flip phones or whatever, so that we could just have a happier life. Cellphones make you feel so isolated, but at the same time they make you feel connected. I find that with the whole cellphone issue there are so many different sides, but they all seem to be rooted in having cellphones in general, because these problems didnt exist before cellphones were invented
You forgot before we had smart phones we all read the shampoo bottle when we 💩🤣🤣
Dez B 😂 This is so funny because it's true! My grandma always had reader's digest in her bathroom so that was a nice change of pace. 😂
Laughter In The Trenches omg yes! The magazines 😂
Yes!
Dez B Back in the early 80s I used our small portable tv in the bathroom in junior high to high school. I would forget it in there sometimes and some of the slightly older adults would think in was lazy or something to have a tv in there. Which didn't make sense to me because how is staring at a wall any better? Anyway, they are hypocrites now cause they use smartphones in the bathroom. lol
Dez B Hahaha...That is SO true!
I'm addicted, oddly enough, to TH-cam videos. My phone rules my mommy list day.
Me too! I lie in bed with headphones watching TH-cam till 3am every night. I can't help myself 😥
Me too! I hate it! My phone says it'll screw up my other apps if I disable TH-cam , or I would take it off
Well mom it sucks to be YOU ✔
Me too.
I’m on TH-cam a lot. I’m drifting away because the fog is too big, too strong for me to see or hear any part of the world around me.
Mobile phones paradoxically liberate you, and enslave you. Nice video Mayim, I remember life before cellphones....
The first change was watching this all the way through without scrolling through something else. It's so tempting, but I'm tired of disappointing the people around me with my addiction to my phone. First day of trying to better myself; wish me luck!
Phone is turned off as soon as my wife gets home for work, and only turned on as I leave for work the next day. Saturday and Sunday on at 9am and off at 6pm. Works for me.
Wish my partner would do the same.
This has been a huge issue for me that I've been taking steps to tackle this summer. I too usually reach for my phone first thing in the morning, so I bought an actual alarm clock and I now charge my phone in a different room at night. The alarm clock glows really calming colors so after I wake up, I lay in bed and stretch with the room gently illuminated. During this time, my husband and I tell each other about our dreams. That sure beats scrolling through my news feed first thing in the morning!
I deleted Facebook a week before the crash and $120B loss... it has been hard, but I've stopped automatically reaching for the app when I'm bored.... now I grab my book.
I prefer my lambo, but that's just me.
I deleted fb from my life also. It’s been 1 year and I can honestly say it’s the best thing I’ve done
Do you have any idea how much goes into a social media network the size of Facebook, how dare you retract your business.
I have been Facebook free for 6 months and it’s great. You’ll realize that you only log on as something to do when you’re bored - and once you find something productive to replace that time, you won’t miss it at all. I still keep in touch with people - it’s just in a more meaningful way now.
I used Facebook a lot until there was a time when it updated. And i didn’t know how to use it so I stopped.
I feel like I was always searching to be with other people when smartphones didnt exist. When i was a kid I was constantly at my cousins, with friends or my grandmas. Smartphones are so isolating, because you feel like you're interacting with the world or people but you really arent.
Sv Vr I find it the other way. Before cell/smart phones I was quite content to do my own thing. Now I seem addicted to the so-called interaction.
thats exactly what i said lol. Its isolating because its not real interaction, but we spend doing that for hours
Sv Vr Not really because I was usually by myself, not with other people. Just that I was content by myself. 😉
I think smart phones have been great for introverts. And isolating for extroverts.
I'm an extrovert, and I definitely feel it. Hanging out with people nowadays feels like staring at everyone staring at their phones until they find a cat video or random meme to show everyone. Then we'll all laugh, make a few comments about it, and the smart phone wall is back up. It's frankly, a waste if time, most days.
@@curiousorigins
Those were probably my cat videos 🐱🐺
Started reading again for entertainment! Hard at first, but it felt so good I kept going. Now I reach for a book instead of social media, at least most of the time.
Thank you for addressing this issue. It breaks my heart to see parents and kids out at dinner, shopping, etc where the child and or parents are glued to the screen. I use our time out to talk to my infant, I point things out and we talk about what we are doing and what we see. She loves to people watch! The comment she receives most often is how alert she looks. I like to attribute that to limited screen time. Of course this means I’ve had to keep the tv off at home as well. 🙆🏻♀️
I needed this!! Thank you! I've been using my phone as an escape. Being a person that suffers from ADD, severe anxiety, PTSD, and depression....It's easy to become enveloped in a world where I can complete things and feel good....in that moment. It's not lasting satisfaction and in the end makes me feel worse but yet I keep diving into the fantasy. Games, emails, text messages, to do list for things to complete ON my phone (I hope this isn't just me), shows, vlogs, blogs, news, etc....can all be completed in an instant. Real life tasks are difficult and long and when I don't get through them completely it makes me feel worthless and broken. This makes me go BACK to my phone.... It's a vicious cycle.
I'm hoping to take your tips and apply them and to not be too hard on myself if I stumble.
iheartigloos, All the best👍
iheartigloos one day at a time. Or half day. If you take longer to complete a task, it’s ok, just keep going; life is not a race. You have the next increment of time. Reward yourself when you do finish, with something small but nice. Like playing on the phone or an ice cream cone:) have a great day!
"It's like the Jetsons. You know that show? No. you're too young. Anyway." haha! That's hilarious!
And we're still waiting for flying cars ✌
I do remember that tv show. And yes im that old.
If Mr Howell had a cellphone, he still wouldn’t have signal (maybe)
Yes, yes, yes! Pen and paper! It's one of the best ways to remember anything. It causes our brain to slow down and actually process information when we write it down! I, often, silence my phone when I'm with people, so I don't get interrupted, or interrupt them, with calls and notifications. As you said, there are very few things that are actually time sensitive. I prefer to just check it a few times during the day and respond when it's convenient for me. So, please, people stop the madness! There's never a good reason to text and drive, or text and walk!!! Be safe and look up, it's probably a beautiful day!
Ramona Schober And leave a message, for crying out loud. I may be in my no answering mode. You called me...if you didn't want to talk to me, why did you call? Leave a msg and I'll call you back when I'm back on my phone.
LW Clay ~ Right?! It's simple courtesy. Wait, that may be an oxymoron... 😁
Ramona Schober I always lost my lists; now I NEVER do. They’re always on my phone! I can track my grocery spending, and anything else I want to create a history. Now if I could organize and store receipts... I know there’s the technology to do it but I don’t have it. I’m simplifying my life *using* my phone, not the other way around!
kathryn witte I organize my receipts with my phone by taking pictures of them and keeping them in Evernote. Then the actual slips of papers for trivial things I can discard and for things with warranties or that I might return I will keep in a box that I try to declutter once a year or so.
@@fayepatrice1672 That's a great idea!
I love positive affirmational quotes when I start my day!
I always carry a book with me so if I'm waiting for class or riding the bus I can read. I feel like you are using your time better and you somehow look more approachable! I didn't get myself a smartphone until I was seventeen so I had plenty of years of watching other people and learning what I didn't want to become.
We have implemented a couple of new rules for this school year. One is tablets/technology on the weekends only. Also, we read from 7:30-8:00 every night. It has to be a physical book, and we have to be in the same room together. It has made the first week of school much more calm. I'm very excited about this family endeavor. When the alarm goes off to put the book away, we give each kiddo a hug and tell them something positive. I *might* have started this for a selfish reason, ok, two selfish reasons, but it works for everyone. My middle schoolers have to keep reading logs for school, and that time guarantees they meet their reading goals each week. Also, I really need the quiet in the evening, and it gets all of us off technology for at least a set amount of time.
Bravo! 👏
🔴Liz, your home sounds like a kid's Hell 🖓
Beautiful, amazing!
I like that you have everyone read together. It’s much easier to do something when you’re not alone. It could even preferable.
That's cool!
Thanks for posting this Mayim! I think about this a lot. Here's 5 that I do:
1. I keep a separate mail app on my phone for work, so there's one place where I can see if I got a personal email and one place where I see if I got a work email. It helps me separate areas of my life, especially making decisions about what is urgent to respond to.
2. I try to charge my phone at night somewhere where it's not in reach while I'm in bed so I /can't/ fall asleep to scrolling, or wake up to my phone (sometimes I give myself a break on this though, haha).
3. I try to keep my phone in my purse while I am out at a meal, so I'm not tempted to scroll while I'm spending time with friends. If I do get my phone out I have to make a conscious choice about it. I try to leave my phone in the other room when I am eating dinner with family. If I do need to have my phone on hand, I keep it face down.
4. If I see that I am wasting time on an app I will delete it for a while, and re-download it when I feel like I've re-centered.
5. I turned off the notifications for things that aren't really important to me. I don't need the notifications that most of my apps try to send me, especially social media. I turned off the sounds *and lock screen banners* for emails. If I'm expecting an urgent email, I will turn the sounds back on temporarily.
I feel like there must be more, and I do most of the things you mentioned too! "Du Courage" and good work to everyone trying to make conscious choices about the role of their smart phone in their life.
You inspired me as a teenager and now you’re inspiring me as a mom! Thanks for this video, it’s very timely!!
Kristy Doucette hahaha so accurate! She’s always been the cool girl a few years ahead of me!
Maybe you should have stayed on the phone instead of becoming a mom 💀
I enjoyed deleting my Facebook account over a year ago and don't miss it at all. I like to go out and leave my phone at home. Young people miss what is in front of there face. So agree with you 💖😘😘
I miss those days where my siblings and I would go to one persons room and chat and laugh out loud...
Have you ever just watched your kids play at the park? I did today and it was hilarious. Usually I'm on the phone looking at nothing and missing out, looking up every few minutes to make sure they're fine. It was such a joy to watch them be silly and ridiculous.
Jennifer Somebody such a tough one! I always want to leave my phone in the car, but then I get a fear that I will miss a photo op that they wont remember without a picture, so I convince myself to take my phone....but always between those photo ops, I end up aimlessly checking something :(
Yeah, but try doing that ALL the time and it’ll get old. People still had had books or the newspaper or other distractions. In the time before phones there were just periods of nothingness and wasted time.
I still don’t think people should be scrolling through facebook for hours a day, but to entirely discredit a phone and assume most people are wasting time on social media is ridiculous. There are amazing things to be done on a phone. Download an app to learn a new language by spending 10minutes a day, practice meditation, learn a programming language. Read a book with Overdrive or Libby! Research personal interests, play a game, organize your life with a calendar, use evernote to create notes and markdown thoughts. Make a blog, join an interest group or plan rl meetups for that group, write a journal. There are great and healthy uses for a phone and it’s ridiculous that people can’t see past that. It’s not about being a slave, it’s about being smart.
Turn off all your notifications for things that don’t matter. If you don’t run a business on social media, turn off sound notifications. Use sounds only for sms & calls. Push notifications for emails and badges to show you a little number. Part of checking your phone all the time has to do with being reminded audibly. Break the pattern or if you are going to use it do something responsible with it.
Tenshi We don't spend hours at a time at a park so the 20-30 minutes we are there, I think I'll continue to watch and laugh at the stories and weird little adventures they come up with and leave learning a new language for when they're at school or the youngest is napping. All of these moments will be gone soon (and I'm by no means the type of person who is a "CHERISH EVERY SECOND" mom) so I'll continue to do what I think works for me and I wish you luck on whatever it is that works for you.
Aw this is really sweet :)
Should of had your tubes tied like me and you'd NEVER have to worry about KIDS ✔
Kitty cuteness!!!! 😻😻😻😻
I will use my phone till the battery dies then won't touch it the whole time it's charging. By the time it's done charging, I won't want to use it because I'm so into other activities 👍🏻
The good old days...landlines, books, conversation. Miss them like a good friend....and good conversation. Wish everyone would unplug at family functions, dinners, etc.
Melinda S Simpson I still have a landline, I still read books and I still go out with friends and have real conversations. Then I go home and the first thing I reach for is my iPad. It’s all good!😉
Kookie Nut Quacker 🤗🤗😉😉
I personally think it is rude to be at a family dinner and just texting away on a smart phone. You are there to enjoy someone's company, not "share" what you're looking at separately. (why I hate the employee lounge....everyone is just into their phones...only a few of us "old folks" actually talk to each other.)
@@debbiebarbay9134
Sounds like most people don't like you 😨
I'm trying to break that habit but it's so hard! I got to stop reaching for my phone in the mornings. I do like drawing, go for walks and learning to crochet. Thanks for the tips Mayim!
The problem with those activities for me is I can do them while listening to a TH-cam on my phone. Reading and writing are the two activities that keep me away from my phone. Also walking without my phone - although, in the beginning, I freaked that I wasn’t getting mileage registered on my phone and I had to remind myself that the exercise was real, even if my iPhone didn’t tell me it had happened!
We love you Amy Farrah Fowler! Thanks for the tips!
I phones. Are very addictive. This world is not a better place for all of our technology.....we are less caring, less sharing, less humane. Tablets n laptops are just as addictive. I am housebound....so my tablet is my window upon the world. Now I must return to reading books (I always read a great deal) n spending more time with my feral cats....trying to tame. Mayim you are talking a mile a minute.......time to meditate!!!! Greetings from Canada 🍁💞🍀
I turn my phone volume up and set my phone in the middle of the house as if it were a house phone and leave it there. If its important they will call me. I also made it so I dont get notifications.
I am definitely going to try this. Thank you.
Brilliant!!
Just sell ur phone
More power to you. I have started weaning myself off the phone, too. I pulled a wrist watch out of a drawer and started wearing it again. That eliminated at least 30 times a day grabbing the phone.
I've turned off nearly all my notifications. Especially for social media. I've trained myself to look at things a couple times a day (at most), but not to be constantly interrupted by chimes, whistles, vibrations, and icons. I think we're quickly losing the ability to focus because the constant interruptions are fragmenting our awareness.
When I go to dinner with a friend, the phone stays in the car. Not in my hand. Not on the table. In the car. I'm there to connect with that person. Not use the phone with a person next to me. Not to turn a visit into an endless "sharing" of data on screens.
I'm glad you mentioned the no-phone-in-the-morning-in-bed piece. That was next on my list and now it's going to happen. People get mad at you if you don't return a text or message immediately, because they assume you are symbiotically attached to your device the way they are. No one knows how to wait because no one has to wait. Thanks for the ideas!
Yes smart-phones are truly distracting and really reduces attention span. Nice post ! What I do is,
1. keeping a plain old table clock near bed so that I don't search for smartphone in the morning to check the time. And yes, this "positive affirmation thought/quote" or sitting in silence is super effective
2. Keeping bare minimum social network app (Ex: only whatsapp) to keep in touch. Many people I have seen using Whatsapp, Messenger, Telegram, Facetime, Skype, Viber all at the same time. I don't understand this. They all serve the same purpose then what's the point to be distracted by all the notification
3. Keeping the notification off. In my higher study, I learned this is called "Hollywood style" :D . That I would call you , you(the job seeker) don't need to call me(the directors/other film related person) constantly. So, if I need I would proactively check the App so no need to get its notification all the time
4. Really identifying what's needed and install as minimum as needed possible Apps. I'm learning a new language so I installed a super cool podcast app and in my travel or in my way I always listen to App in this language and it is super helpful
5. Reading books in Paperbacks than on smartphones
6. Keeping the Internet off and switching it on only 2-3 times or predefined times as per your need. A phone's purpose is to receive and deliver call. So, if someone really need to contact he/she will call.
These small changes really helped me. I recognized that , if I maintain this it grows my attention. So I now know the benefits. But honestly it's sometimes hard to stick to it. That's the part I'm struggling with :D ..... But I think I could hack my mind and these are all doable.
Completely agree!! The only thing I’d add is, although I like paper physical books, I love my Kobo digital reader just for convenience. This stops lock in to the other manufacturers ecosystem where there is no way you can transfer books, already paid for, to any other device.
I know all your references. We are the same age. I miss the pre cell phone days.
Carl Greisheimer We memorized so many numbers!
MissMargaret Yes! I was really good at remembering phone numbers. I came across a pay phone a couple of years ago, and burst into a fit of laughter. I didn’t know they still existed! My favorite memory is replacing the phone cord with an extra long one. 😂
or just the old cell phones time (like flip phones) ...
I also sort of miss the old days, yet I'd be lost without the current technology, lol.
vila111 my first cell phone was one of those classic Nokia phones everyone had. My dad had a car phone in the 80s for work and we thought he was the shit.
Thank you for your advices. I realised I really have phone addiction longer time ago but wasn't able to do so much about it. You are such a motivation to me to take babysteps to change my way of life
Mayim, you're awesome! 💛 cellphone addiction is one of the things I'm planning to get rid of and this is timely. I admire you.
This is great and I'm very grateful to you for speaking so publicly about this! Some of the "boundaris" I've adopted is doing a social media fast every January. I limit myself to only Facebook on social media (again, to limit scrolling addiction), and every January, I stop checking it. The first few days I have the habit of wanting to go to it to mindlessly scroll, but stop myself. I'm always amazed at how much more clear-headed I am at the end of the month (and sometimes I don't go back for another few weeks or months). I also have rules like I'm not to check my phone when I'm standing in line, waiting for someone, sitting at restaurant while my guest goes to the bathroom, etc. I make a point to be in the moment, look around, and just be a 90s kid :) Thanks again Mayim - this is so important!
100% try the black and white function in the settings to avoid TH-cam - probably even helps with the news scrolling! Love it, great that we feel so much the same on this ☺️
I have no social media on my phone. All of that (that is, Facebook and Twitter) is only on the computer.
I no longer have the TH-cam notification bell activated for any daily-upload channels.
If I’m with someone having a meal or coffee or whatever, phone stays in my pocket unless I’m showing them something on it.
It helps having an iPhone 5C, because that ancient piece of crap is so slow I don’t even want to use it half the time.
If you like to read, read a physical book. A paper book will never beep and give you notifications.
I applaud you! You appear to be one of the only polite people left.
The video kind of ended when she was still talking
Claudia Kerssemakers not sure if that was what happened. I'm pretty sure it was just an editing mistake. Trust me I know I've done the same thing before. Besides if she was going to end the video on a metaphor she would tell us.
Claudia Kerssemakers that would make sense if this was filmed with a phone but I'm not sure it is. lol
EKS511 she deleted her comment...LOL
Editor Mayim needs more time away from her phone.
I have 2 college degrees, never got a smartphone. It's driving friends crazy, I can't 'get that app' they're crazy about or their coupon, or their latest pic. I don't care. I do love the voicemail feature on the cellphones. It answers for me and if/when I want to text or call, I can do anything I NEED to do with it. The tech at the AT&T store last week called my girls' iphone6, 'dinosaurs' and my slider phone, a Samsung Evergreen, 'a fossil', 2010? I've dropped it a hundred times and it just snaps back together. One time I replaced the battery for a longer lasting charge. The AT&T tech said upgrade is 'free' and a 'savings'. No, it isn't. Nothing is free and Nothing is a 'savings' unless you are making a deposit in my name at my bank, and I guarantee, you don't know my bank. People ignoring the world for their phone is truly a Sickness of 2018. I'm glad you're back in control! ; )
I have my LG EnV which flips open with a full keyboard. My husband gets so frustrated that I don't have a smart phone. I completely embrace new technology, but when smartphones came out, I had no desire for one. I still have to look at a map before I leave the house if I'm going somewhere new. If I get lost, oh well. Maybe I'll see something interesting during my aimless driving around.
That's awesome, ladies! It's nice to know there are a few of us who are looking up and enjoying the real world around us! It's just too easy to get caught up in the idea that every little thing is "time sensitive", or "urgent". Advances in technology are great and can be quite helpful sometimes. Other times, they seem to create more frustration and stress. It's important to recognize what options are available and choose those things that work to create happiness and cohesiveness in our lives! Be well and have a lovely day!
Karyn B that’s true, my carrier did the same with me. That’s an absurd that I had the same iphone5 for more than 3 years. I don’t agree with this savage capitalism that’s taking place everywhere and increasing so much violence because they need to have the last cellphone. I feel myself very addicted to my smartphone and I really want to be free. I’m really considering to have those old stile just to make calls. Very nice video. ❤️
Karyn B I applaud you. I’m pursuing my second degree as well, and I find myself getting distracted and not studying because I’m looking at something on my phone (hence why I’m watching this video). I do enjoy all the features of a smartphone, I just want to be more detached to it than I am. I remember when I used to read novels in my spare time. Now, I haven’t read a non school related book in years!
*Proof that college doesn't make one smarter* ✔
I Just realized how addicted I am ...especially searching for horrible news. It' s overwelming to think everything is urgent and important. Thank you so much for those tips.
Currently watching this from my smartphone, which was the first thing I grabbed after waking up, and I was scrolling through TH-cam's homepage for no reason.
I'm so addicted to my phone 😥 I try to stop staring at it all the time but I can't.
When my husband comes home from work I turn off my phone and disconnect just to be completely capable of holding a really conversation with him about our day.
I also leave my phone at home when we go out somewhere together.
I love your videos mayim! You are such a nice person! 😍
Yay Jetsons!
I, too, sometimes leave my phone in the car.
I am so grateful that I grew up walking through the woods, riding my bike,
Playing basketball. I'm older and have a difficult time limiting my phone use. I do have a love of books though. Sometimes I make cookbook things and ban myself from those addictive recipe videos.
More often, though, I binge watch 30 ways to make something and then make it. Big problem for us all. Creates a lot of worry when we are constantly bombarded with tragedy and doom and gloom.
Thank you so much for this video. I am also struggling with not being a slave to my phone. What I did was to buy an alarm clock so I neither take my phone with me to the bedroom in the evening nor it is the first thing I encounter with in the morning. The alarm clock helps me a lot. 🌞
Lol. I remember those days! Thanks for the tips! I loved Blossom growing up, and TBBT now!
Love this so much. So now I turn my phone off at night at leave it downstairs if not I end up scrolling all night in bed instead of sleeping
Mayim, I love your great ideas....our lives sadly revolve around the Almighty Cell Phone. I try to not depend on mine in increments, cutting back by 15-20 minutes each day, leaving the phone in the bedroom at mealtimes, etc.
Trying to be more present.
Great topic, let's keep the conversation going !
Mayim, congratulations for taking the initiative!
Consciously detaching phone use time from other activities, such as eating or drinking a cup of tea to decompress, is one good tactic. Instead of reaching out for the device in those moments, it's about becoming acquainted again with the silence and the "nothingness". Sometimes it works better than others, but it's about creating new pathways for wellbeing!
I often travel to East Africa and will go for days at a time with no service, and I can't tell you how AMAZING it is. I sleep great. Time goes slower. I don't have the constant urge to look at my phone every 3 minutes. And then upon returning to the US....ugh. Ding. Ding. Ding. I love/hate/but mostly hate phones and what they have done to us all. Good on ya for putting this cat back in the bag!
I diligently turn my phone off every night and every Sunday all day. Yes there's some anxiety but it has helped me spend a lot more meaningful time with myself and my family. Also. Huge fan 😊
Love "inspired by their boredom" ... absolutely! That is how we will get more girls interested in science too.
You're awesome, Mayim! Keepin' it real and I adore you!
It's truly amazing that what initially was a need overtime becomes a want disguised as a need. I was about 12 when I got my first (basic) mobile phone 13 years ago only due to my dads ill health. It was literally able to call and text. That was it. Now I'm somewhat addicted to scrolling social media on a smartphone. 2019 is the year I aim to reduce my social media consumption, instead focusing on reading and learning.
So much respect for you, for so many years. Keep up the great work on here!
I tend to shut off my phone. Like my mom says: "If it's an emergency, they can leave a message."
The hit the subscribe and notifications button is ironic considering the title 😂
I never hit the notification button. I figure I'll catch it in my subscription list of videos. Besides, I don't want TH-cam telling me when to watch the videos. Who has time for that kind of negativity.
100% agree!
You can get "notified" when you go on youtube or if you're already on. No need to have notifications sent to your phone. l like if l'm on youtube watching something and a page l really love has a livestream or a new post. Hate to miss the live stream but l choose to not get it if l'm not online.
I’m considering buying a flip phone, those aren’t addictive and take forever to text!!
that's so cool! there's a youtuber that did a video on using a flip phone for 30 days, his name is Matt D'avella
I just stumbled upon your channel, and I have watched your videos about being vegan, breathing, and losing the phones back to back. I am super inspired and I hope you continue to inspire more people !!
Yes! Awareness is key... sometimes I catch myself mid scroll and say to myself "is this the best use of my time right now?" That instantly snaps me out of it. Also, one thing I found super helpful in the morning is to generate a dopamine hit through working out, even a 15min sweat can do the trick - before checking mail and messages.
I bought a record player and sometimes when there is a lull in my day, I put on a record and dance to it...my dog thinks im crazy
So I have this problem. I'm a gamer. But recently I do not play games often. Each day i watch TH-cam till 4 a.m. . And I will be like
"Wait this video is interesting,I must watch" and that goes on and i couldn't stop
Me too. I think telling ourselves "so little is urgent and time sensitive" again and again would be helpful. It must start with wanting to watch that one TH-cam video and saying no and not watching it.
Let's get back to old school ways of communicating. Less Facebook and no TV and no cell phones at the dinner table. It makes for fine conversation with the family...etc.
I feel the same " A slave to my phone". Thank you for sharing this video. Can use some of your tricks to incorporate into my life. What i have tried is swtiching off my phone while i cook , shower or eat dinner.
Awww I do so agree with the "inspiration of boredom". We actually need boredom, I swear.
Great video Mayim, I wish you happiness and the will power to leave your phone in your car.
Technology is a good servant but a bad master. (that's from not me, I just happen to think it sums everything up really well)
I'm a slave to my phone but I have been getting better at being not so dependent on it. I bought a planner for note taking I also leave my phone at home when going out with friends. I was born in 93 so I remember prank calling people on our land line phone and hearing the awful dial up tone when wanting to go onto yahoo kids and the barbie website. I also remember watching the Jetsons \the Flinstones because they had re-runs playing on cartoon network back when it was still called Hannah Barbarah.
I loved pranked calling now I just troll 😗
I’m so addicted to my phone I can not for the life of me let it out of my sight I’m so bad with it 😂
Mariah Carey’s Daydream same😂😂😂
Same 😔
Go camping where there is no cell service for 2 weeks.
@@RT-gs7fj
I'd love to go without seeing Mariah for that long 🖒
This is true. I’m a 90s baby and my family literally used to sit around the table and eat dinner having a full blown conversation. No phones. No nothing. Nowadays you only see things like that in movies lol
Great video! I left my phone in the car the other day while eating out with a loved one and it was a game changer. It forced me to keep the conversation going and to enjoy real time, real life interaction. Definitely implementing this more!
I love u, Mayim. Blossom was a big thing for me. thank you and the show for being so genuine.
I wish I knew what it was like to grow up without smart phones, mostly to just live and have friends and go places.
Our son (13)doesn’t have a phone so if he uses one of ours it’s the one hour limit. I am on my one hour of phone fun time right now so congrats Mayim, your channel made the cut. Lol.
I really miss answering machines. I'm in Total Agreement with you.
I miss them too. I remember coming home from work and checking my messages. Somehow everyone was perfectly fine with that, nowadays people have to check their phones constantly. It's crazy.
I call my phone "my smokes". When I was a smoker, I never went anywhere without my "smokes". I find that my phone is exactly this. If I walk out the door even to go to the store to pick up something quick, I always seem to think that I need to take my "smokes". Great video and a great reminder of how things once were and it was not that long ago. The "smart phone" and its 100% connected life is a pretty recent phenomenon that is only about 10-12 years old. I quit smoking 22 years ago after a heart attack, and never reached for one again since. What will be my defining moment for the dropping of my other "smokes"
This immediacy scares me! Tottaly Truth! Dr. Biliak, I'm brazilian and I can't separate the Blossom's Image! Forgive me, but the memory here is really strong! Shalom!
*I keep my phone in my car*
Me: ROUND OF A PALSE EVERYBODY
I am incredibly close to deleting all of my social media accounts. They are the main reason that I constantly look at my smartphone. Without them, I imagine I will only pick it up a few times a day if that. I haven't deleted them yet, but I am on the verge of doing so. I'm just getting more and more fed up with technology and the fakeness of social media these days. Technology should not own us. We should own technology. Enough is enough already.
downtoawhisper I did it. Best choice I’ve made in years!
@@michelleboutwell-goodman818
Yet YOU are still here 😁
Ava Goodman good on you Ava! I need to delete my social. My problem is, I don’t post. I just scroll and scroll and scroll. And if I don’t do that I’m watching videos. And if not that then searching things on the web. I spend so much time head down :( if it wasn’t for family who live outside of this country, I would seriously get a brick phone I’m actually considering it.....
i keep my ringer off til 5pm everyday and i read and write then i go outside for walk:)
That sounds good. I'm an artist and will spend more time creating 🖒
Wonderful video! Thanks so much for sharing honesty and giving ways to deal with the terrible phone addiction that has creeped into society and our very own homes. Your personality is fireeee. Be blessed!!!
You don't look old enough to know pre-cell phone days! Thanks for this!
I WATCHED THIS VIDEO BEFORE I STARTED WATCHING BIG BANG THEORY
I remember calling my friends and leaving messages to their family, or waiting 2 hours for a friend in a park, because we couldn’t contact him lol. I lived that times as well. Oh, and searching info in a library, wow, I really appreciate where we are now with tech. We need to learn from this, not shut out the amazing tech we have now. Learn and adapt and balance. Because it,s advancing fast, and we need to adapt or frustrate ourselves with that. Lol Addie came on the video again. Btw don,t leave it in the car! Thieves are everywhere! And damn iPad keyboard, I can,t find some signs 😂😂
Regina rgbcn Yeah, that balance is really important. Technology is extremely useful, but when we dissociate ourselves from real live people, I think that's when we need to take a step back and think about where we stand alongside the technology today. There are so many things that are more preferable for your brain and for connections with other people than staring at a phone screen every 10 seconds!
You know having a way to hide from the world is a good thing and back then since there was no cell phones it was a blessing now if I do not answer the phone is 5 minutes people start thinking the worse "Has she fallen down the toilet or has she become deaf etc it ANNOYING :)
Regina rgbcn. These keyboards are not made for keyboarding (typing) as I am a very quick n accurate typist. ......but the keyboards are not designed for thar!!! One needs a physical keyboard in order to input the data
If I had to choose between searching for books in a library or using the internet for research and academic studies, I’d chosse the former, because I enjoy the experience. Sorry, google.
Hi Mayim, so tonight is the night that my smartphone is going to sleep in the bathroom cabinet. Tomorrow I will on my spend 30 minutes with my phone (ten minutes an interval) I cannot wait to be enriched.
Goodbye phone addiction
Holy cow!! I don't believe she has an TH-cam channel, instantly followed
"...also I want my children to be inspired by boredom ... I want them to use their imagination". God I miss that feeling.
I feel weird liking this video from my phone. 🤔
I love how she talks about prayer and being Jewish so openly.
I woke up one day and as I went to grab my celI...said out loud ..."No! Your not gonna get me today!" Just left the cel and went on with my day. At the end of that day I felt releafed and realized that I don't need it to survive hahahaha 😄
I absolutely adore you! I love how you caught your joke and your face was like "EH AHHH! That's punny! Go me!" I can relate to when you reminded yourself to breathe to calm down. You are my spirit person! You're so epic
I've actually thought about doing the affirmations thing a few times, read some affirmations I wrote down for myself, or read Marcus Aurelius Meditations or something, but I don't. I still reach for my phone as soon as I wake up, and my eyes haven't even focused yet, and I'm trying to focus them onto the news!!
Thanks for all your tips and showing me that it can be done!