Phones: Does Anyone Look Up Anymore?

Here's a little rant after our recent vacation, and this rant is directed at myself as much as anyone…

Coming home from a family trip recently, I looked around the airport and almost everyone was doing the same thing: looking down at our phones as we waited for our flights to leave. This included myself and the other five people in our family. Kent was catching up on news or sports, the kids were watching a video or scrolling through their social accounts, and I was looking through our trip photos to see which ones to share in my newsletter and looking at my to-do list for when we got home. (I did walk for a while first!)

I was thinking about what people did in airports before phones…

Kids would color in coloring books or read a book, some people read the newspaper, a magazine or a novel. Others would just look around, talk to those traveling with them, or maybe even chit-chat with a stranger. It's pretty sad when you think about it.

I'm just as guilty as anyone!

As I said, I was on my phone too. My phone is now my calendar and to-do list, my grocery list, my email and texts, it's where I work on business stuff, it's my camera, where I get driving directions, how I listen to audio books, it's even where a lot of my devotionals are for my morning prayer time. I use it for tons more that I'm not even listing here because it would take too long. I'm sure all of you know exactly what I'm talking about.

They've hooked us, and there's no going back.

The only answer or solution is how to regulate it.

We all rely on our phones now and yes they're SO unbelievably handy in countless ways! Just like everything though, they do have a good side with many beneifts, but a bad side too if we're not careful. We just don't want these gadgets to run, or ruin, our lives. We've all seen those people who never look up from their phones (not always just teenagers), whether they're playing games constantly or scrolling through social media, and we don't want to be like them, right? It's just common sense that too much isn't good and most of us need to work on our self-control in this area.

So here are a few ideas for how to loosen the phone's hold on us, and I hope you'll share your suggestions in the comments!!!

First of all, at least make it safe. Since our phones are always close to us, be sure to have a protective case to block dangerous EMF's and 5G–and for your kids' phones too! One of my dear friends died a few years ago of a brain tumor. She owned a natural health clinic so she was a very healthy person. She told me clearly, and I still have this voicemail, “It had to have been these damn phones.” Learn more here about how Electromagnetic Radiation (EMF) emitted from electronic devices and 5G affect your health and how to protect yourself. (Go to that link and click “learn” toward the top.) Read about some of the risks: “Chronic diseases, ADHD, Tinnitus, insomnia, Autism, Cancer, mental illnesses like depression, Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and problems related to focus, memory, and attentiveness. EMF studies have repeatedly shown gene mutations and DNA fragmentation, which can cause cell mutation and cancer. Children are particularly at risk from EMF exposure, because a child’s body absorbs more EMF than an adult’s and is still developing.” –> By the way, they have more than just phone cases. I only use their WIRED headphones-put “headphones” in the searchbar there (never use airpods!), I'm using a laptap shield as I type this, and they also have protective blankets and even protective clothing now too. This small investment is SO worth it and they're having a sale that goes through 2/17/25: buy 2 or more products and save 14%. (Code gets automatically applied.)

Put first things first. I've heard things like, “Scripture before screens” in the morning. That's great if you can do it, but there's always something I need to do on my phone before I get settled into my coffee/prayer time. But I'm trying to be better and consistent about giving God that time in the morning before I'm off and running with the rest of my to-do list. I heard a friend say recently, “Look at your screen time tracking and tell me you don’t have time for prayer.”
Keep your ringer off. This makes my kids crazy sometimes when I don't see their call come in, but I tell them, I cannot keep my ringer on or I'll go insane with all the alerts and wouldn't get anything done at all! Besides, I'm popping on and off my phone enough that I'll see the missed call before too long anyway. If I'm waiting for a specific call, I might turn it on for a bit, but then it goes right back off because I just can't stand it otherwise. For emergencies we actually still have our landline just so I *don't* have to keep my ringer turned on.
Don't use your phone as your alarm clock or to check the time at night. I got one of these very inexpensive little clocks for my nightstand and it works great.
Have a no-phones at the table rule. Thankfully we've always been pretty good about this one. I love our family dinners and people on phones instead of having conversations would make me crazy.
Do you love tracking your steps like I do? I didn't want to always have my phone on me though (which tracks your steps even if you didn't know it), so I got one of these “old fashioned” step-counters that clips on!
Just be more aware of your screen time. Make sure that screen time tracking is set up on your phone in the settings so you can look now and then and see how you're doing.
When you go for a walk (or do other exercise), make a point to look around for a while before fiddling on your phone. If you're like me, you loooooove multi-tasking. You can walk and at the same time: look over your to-do list, check your meal plan and decide what to make for dinner or even watch a movie (although that's not good for your neck to be looking down for long periods like that, you also could trip on something–don't ask how I know). But before I do any of that stuff, I'll make a point to just stop, look around at God's beauty and thank Him. To smell the different seasons. Or to let my mind wander and ponder things I may be struggling with. Or pray more. THEN I'll make that phone call or put on an audio book or whatever.
Limit phones on vacation. This one (and all of these ideas) are tricky once kids are older like ours, because they're adults and can do whatever they want! But one day last week on our vacation in Puerto Rico, we got back from the beach and everyone just wanted to chill for a bit. That meant, you guessed it, the phones came out. This was fine for a while but then I said, “Okay, let's play cards or something!” No one felt like that, so instead we played a family trivia game. This meant that only one person was on their phone (me) so I could look up the questions, but it turned out to be fun! And it goes without saying that when you're siteseeing on vacation you should definitely be looking up and around, not down. Except to snap a photo of course–one thing I especially enjoy about our trips is looking at the photos later. 🙂
Do NOT let your kids be on screens in the car. I know this may be tough too, but it's important to start early to teach them that they don't need to be on electronics ALL of the time. When they're young let them be bored and just look around sometimes, it's good for them! Or bring books, word searches, coloring books, or other activities that are special just for the car. Play the old “alphabet” game as a family. There are so many other things to do in the car that build their brains, their vocabulary and even their relationships with YOU just by talking to them.
Hold off on giving your kids phones/screens as long as you can. Our kids are grown now so I'm not up on all of this, but I know there ARE options for “dumb” phones so they can call/text, but without having constant access to social media, youtube, etc. Here's my post from a while back on this, and I'm pretty sure all of those are still good options. (Be sure to see the testimony there about what a Mom found on her 12 year old daughter's phone when she put some safeguards in place, so scary…) Once your kids are older and do have screen time, still limit it as much as possible, obviously. Yes it's easier said than done, though, I remember this well and get it that parenting is NOT easy and we often need something good to bribe them with!
What else can you think of to help tame this monster in our lives? Please share below in the comments.
And check this book out: Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn't Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution.

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