This blog post is going to be a bit different from what I usually post. I am going to be talking about a social issue which I think is very serious and is affecting Singaporeans. A lot.
I would like to talk about one simple but extremely common thing.
Our smart phones.
When our phone dies or gets confiscated by our parents, most of us would consider all forms of entertainment are gone. No more whatsapp-ing our friends, no more scrolling through our timeline, no more playing games that you can never win, no more songs to listen to on noisy bus rides. There is nothing wrong with using our phones to help us relax but is using it all the time necessary?
When I take the MRT, the whole row of seats are filled with teenagers and middle-aged adults engrossed on their smart phones. Candy crush, Facebook, Instagram all appear to be much more important than reading the free newspaper or catching up on much-needed sleep. When I finally get a chance to sit down on the MRT, I wouldn't be wasting my time on something I can do later on! I want to catch a few minutes of rest before going to school. There are some people so caught up in their phone that they don't even notice a person who needs to seat down standing right in front of them!
Both the young and the old, everyone is so obsessed with our phones that our society is becoming more anti-social. We are known as the country with the most unhappy citizens! There was a couple that I walked passed and the girl was trying to talk to her boyfriend and he was literally just focused on playing his PSP... He got a big smack on the head from his girlfriend for that. Look at the picture above, it may just be three people but everyone knows that the number of people staring at their phones is definitely a lot more times than this.
What is happening to humanity?
I am not saying I am not guilty of being addicted to my phone. I do not think that is wrong to use my phone often but there is a limit. I was neglecting my family members because of an inanimate gadget. I only get to see my parents a few hours a day before I have to sleep and I chose my phone over them. I have gotten into loads of trouble for using my phone too much. I use it in class when I am bored even though there is a strict rule against that. I used to stare at my phone from the morning till the evening. I used to check my Twitter when I am eating even though my parents already nagged at me for that countless of times.
It went on for months before I realised I was getting really sick of my parents' nagging. I made myself put down my phone when my parents came home so I can talk to them and ask about their day. I borrowed books from the library to read, I went for ballet classes more often, I watched YouTube videos instead of tweeting and I met up with my friends for some fun. There are also so many other things I can do instead of playing temple run! I can tidy up my room, do my tuition homework, watch television and spend some time with my sister. It is not a 'must' to do all of that. I could continue using my phone for all I like but I would have to suffer the risk of getting my phone confiscated and obviously I would not want that. Anyone who just can't seem to put down our phones need to know that there are other things we can do to have fun or de-stress!
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| Even maids know it is not right to keep using phones! |
Imagine a whole week without wi-fi or 3G. Honestly speaking, how many of you will just crawl into a ditch and lay down there in a fetus position while contemplating about what to do next with your life? Raise your hand. Haha okay, so I might be exaggerating but plenty of teenagers and even some adults will practically die of boredom.
Just try. Try to have a whole day of fun without using your phone too much. Go hang out with your friends or watch a movie (without checking your phone every half an hour like some people do) and trust me, it won't be as hard as you think it will be. If your parents dislike you using your phone too much, isn't it even better if you can prove to them you can survive a day without your precious phone?
♥,
Jermainex
P.S. Everyone can comment on my blog posts now, you don't have to sign in to any accounts and you can comment anonymously!
2 comments
I think that with Whatsapp and messaging, most people just prefer using that for communication to face to face conversation, because its more convenient. And I use it a lot as I have a HUGE problem with conversation with my current schoolmates, like I don't find the topics they talk about appealing to me. So I talk to past schoolmates, who I don't see everyday and therefore need messaging by phone. Of course not everyone is that extreme, but I agree that our phones have been unhealthily overused. I think that in the end, we still can use our phones, but if we can't use them we should be able to still turn to other forms of entertainment hehe
ReplyDeleteI agree that phones really do change our society significantly, drawing more attention every second. There are pretty much many people who have unhealthy obsession with smart phones just like you have mentioned. But you have mentioned all the other things someone can do without their phones. After all, it's just an inanimate object ain't it XD it was very well written post there, keep it up :)
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