Smartphones are messed up. Not inherently, not in every way, and not all of them. But in general, taken as a whole in terms of their impact on people and on the planet, smartphones cause a lot of problems – economic problems, psychological problems, societal problems, and environmental problems, to name a few.
We could just ignore these problems. Avoid ‘em, push ‘em away, clean the fridge and have a few beers first. Focus on other things. But doing nothing is not an option, because nearly all of us need to use our smartphones, whether that’s to do our jobs or to stay in touch with our families. It feels confronting to accept that our relationship with our phones needs to change, because we have become so dependent upon them.
The good news is that there is a better way – one where we make the best of using our smartphones without letting them use us. We can demand phones that align with our shared values (they already exist!); consciously control how and why we use our phones; and help to enact collective change to protect our human rights in a digital age.
Human Health
Our phones are making us sick – as individuals, as societies, and as a planet. We already know that smartphones take a toll on our personal health. You might feel it intuitively, or have seen it documented in research. We are addicted to our phones, and that addiction contributes to depression, anxiety, and shortened attention spans¹. As one study found, “...the mere presence of a smartphone results in lower cognitive performance”². Valid concerns have been raised about the impact of these issues on children, who use phones often and at increasingly early stages in their development.
We are addicted to our phones, and that addiction contributes to depression, anxiety, and shortened attention spans
With individual health struggling, societal health is also under strain. Exposure to extreme content can be unhealthy and unpleasant for an individual; on a societal scale, it encourages polarization. Our phones are a barrier resulting in increased distance between people socially and physically, contributing to deepened social strains, extremism, and the rise of filter bubbles³. Amidst these growing problems, society has lost control over the de facto public sphere and their power to shape it as platforms like X are designed to further private interests like the consolidation of wealth and political power.
The good news is, there are positive actions you can take to mitigate problems like these. A first step is to be aware that another way is possible. We can use our phones to be productive and, dare I say, even have fun without being addicted, drained, angry, and scared.
A next step is to think through, for yourself, what the right level of tech is for you to participate in society. Answer questions like: What do I need and not need from my phone? What do I want and not want from my phone? What do I like and not like about my phone? Understanding your answers to questions like these can inform your own limits and boundaries, and help you identify low-tech tools like paper, alarm clocks and egg timers that can help to keep you off of your phone. It’s also important to stay connected to the tangible world, whether going outside for some fresh air or talking to strangers and loved ones in person.
Want to learn more?
Visit Waag's Fix Your Phone Shop at the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven from 19 until 27 October 2024!
This article is part of a three-part essay Your Phone is Broken written by Max Kortlander. Read the second part Your Phone is Broken - and it affects our planet or the last part Your Phone is Broken - but we can fix it.
Footnotes
- Hashemi et al., Thomeé et al.
- Skowronek et al.
- Pariser, The Filter Bubble
