No Phone Zone

Dear Dad,

We are exposed to many external opinions.

This is not inherently bad, but it creeps in a bad direction when we replace others’ opinions, beliefs, and expectations for our own. Substituting external decrees for original thinking is made widely possible by our hand-held-brain-manipulators, more commonly known as the smart phone. Therefore, to sustain at least a sliver of self-identity take time away from your smart phone each day.

Here’s a dumb example, but one that I experienced this weekend on Sunday morning after the first full Saturday of college football. I was eager to check social media and read everyone’s thoughts about the games, teams, and coaches that I follow. I started reading others’ opinions before I took the time and discipline to consider my own. I had to pause. If I allowed other analysis to infiltrate my thoughts before I considered my own positions I would be susceptible to deception. “Aggressive play calling” led to victory one headline read. There’s an easy headline to regurgitate around the water cooler.

But wait… I watched that game. The play calling wasn’t aggressive. Yeah, the coach went for it on a fourth down which was an aggressive strategy at the time, but all in all, the actual play calling was conservative. I thought the offense should have stretched the field much more often. Push the ball down field, enough of the dink and dump, challenge the deep ball…

Unfortunately, this type of critical thinking substitution is pervasive in much more important topics than college football analysis. There’s a presidential debate coming up where immediately following the show talking pundits will spew everything you’re supposed to think about what was debated. Various news outlets will give you all the headlines that should be on your mind today. And of course, food marketers will put their products, recipes, and to-good-to-pass sales in front of your face as early and often as possible. Mostly done through smart phones.

I think the worst form of this critical thought substitution happens during the morning scroll. Think about it. By the action of grabbing your phone while still in bed you’re basically saying “how quickly can I stuff a bunch of other people’s thoughts, ideas, and expectations into my brain at the start of this day.”

No wonder so many people feel busy and strung out while confused about what to believe. We get our agenda from doom scrolling before getting out of bed and run around distracted all day. Instead, put your phone away. Create clear guardrails to curb cell-phone reliance.

Start by making the bedroom a no phone zone.

You might be surprised to learn what you actually think.

With Love,

JSR