I am republishing this post from 2012 as I embark on a holiday break from Social Media and Smart Phone internet connectivity. I intend to take the time between now and New Year’s to suspend my use of Social Media and Smart Phone internet connectivity, save perhaps Google maps to Navigate my way around the bay area.

In the past few months I have enjoyed an increasingly active engagement with my network via social media and my smartphone connectivity(FB, Linkedin, Twitter, podcast). However the enjoyment has come with a cost. The addictive nature of these tools and their purpose built engagement algorithms have been very effective at sucking me in to an unhealthy amount of time spent both consuming and generating content.

After posting and sharing this post, I intend to disable my smartphones data for the coming week (except for targeted GMap use). After this Cold turkey diet week, I intend to return to the connected world, hopefully with some new perspective as I embark back into a more mindful and controlled usage pattern. I will post an update with the outcomes. Until then, please enjoy this blog post and my reflections on a similar exercise in 2012.

Happy Holidays!

Today is the 4th day of my self imposed “Smart Phone Diet”. I have temporarily disabled the WIFI and 4g internet connections on my Galaxy II Android mobile phone. WHAT? WHY? you ask… let me explain and share with you some reflections from this period of throttled down connectivity.
Although i may joke to the contrary, I am by no means a “luddite“. I am not a gadget freak, but, I do love my smart phone. As a voracious seeker of knowledge, perspective and connections I would never want to revert to the pre-WWW world . I am amazed by the access to knowledge and the increased connections to others that the internet facilitates. During this Smart phone diet I did not go cold turkey on the Internet and social networks. I simply removed the real time pocket access that the smart phone provides.

Although it comes in waves and ebbs I have noticed that lately that the firehose of mobile fueled inputs and outputs had crescendoed to an all time high level. In the moment, I find this increased amount of incoming information and connections, thought provoking and highly engaging given my ADHD tendencies. With the awareness of the past few days, I am reminded that reducing the inputs and outputs to smaller sips through a smaller information straw, can increase focus and mindfulness.
When I first disabled my mobile access, I became more aware of the habits and patterns that I had unconsciously been developing with my smart phone use. Any passing thought/question or idle moments would cause me to reach into my pocket for my phone for some instant information, news or social updates. Like a crack pipe, the more I engaged in this pattern, the more I needed it. One of the few things that kept my addiction partially in check, was the overt displeasure of my smart phone hating wife.
With the time that I have bought back by limiting the time consumed by my mobile connectivity, I have been able to read an awsome novel, be more present with my family and increase my focus on extended thoughts.

I will likely re-enable my phones internet connections in the coming weeks, however i hope to be more mindful and responsible with it’s use based on the awareness this diet has raised. If you would like to discover more about the affect of distractions on creativity I would recommend this article from the Salt Lake Tribune: Study: “Turn off iPhone, take a hike – your creativity will soar”

and this blog article: the-sirens-of-technology-seven-ways-our-gadgets-drive-us-nutsI hope you found this post thought provoking. I would love to hear your comments!