I am that lady who relies heavily on her phone for many things every day. Permit me to say that we’ve come to the point in life where doing without our phones is almost impossible. It's quite a big deal for many of us. However, there will always be one vital thing or another that could keep us away from our gadgets, even if it is for a few hours.
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We are in the digital age where most of us take advantage of technology to earn, learn a variety of skills, chat with friends, watch Netflix, etc. through our smart phones. The list is almost endless, and these activities are capable of keeping one glued to the phone for many hours a day. Most times, I get lost exploring the internet world through my phone to the point that I don't notice the presence of someone around me. I must confess how addicted I have been to my phone all along, especially with my habit of not remembering to turn off my data when my phone is not in use. The notification sounds are always a bunch of distractions, and of course I will be moved to check out what's new. One thing Why I am not too hard on myself about my phone usage is the fact that I earn from it, so it's a kind of nice addiction, but yet, there's time for everything, including time to disconnect from my phone and attend to vital things devoid of distractions.
This will lead me into disclosing that one vital thing that keeps me away from my phone...
A few months ago, I had an encounter with my second son, and this made me feel so emotional. This 5 year old son of mine indirectly passed a heavy message to me that has stuck into my mind till date while I implement the sensitive message for a better outcome. I have a set out routine in my home and one of them is to coach my kids academically every day once they return from school and rested a bit. That day, I had an important thing to attend to online, and the time clashed with the time I was to teach the kids, and then I said to myself, I would rather multitask than allow this online stuff to pass me by. Actually, I was supposed to turn off my data once I start coaching my kids and take the phone far away from the reading table to avoid distractions until we are done, but I failed to keep the phone away, thus the heavy distraction. When I couldn't give my son the usual attention, he targeted my phone and forcefully took it away from me, ran to the room and hid it, then came out to the living room and said, "Mummy, I am sorry, but you won't have your phone back until you are done teaching me" . Sincerely, typing this makes me feel more emotional. The little boy was right after all. I can't server two masters at a time. There's no way I would concentrate on both activities and achieve a good result. It's my responsibility to teach my kids and support their teachers by playing my part at home for an excellent result, and I feel that the time of that coaching is important in their lives as they continue to grow. So that singular attitude from my son made me always disconnect myself from my phone once the coaching session is ongoing. I can do away with my phone for this reason above and more.
This is my entry to the #hivelearners contest on the topic titled NO PHONE FOR ME.
