COMMS 1001 Assignment 3

The speaker discusses their recent 8-hour screen detox and the problem of screen addiction in society. They mention a survey that found Canadians check their phones over 100 times a day. The speaker shares their own struggle with self-control and the need for stimulation when not using social media. They plan activities like golfing, walking, reading, and napping to fill their time during the detox. They describe their experiences and the challenges they faced, but ultimately conclude that moderation is key and it's important to use screens productively. Welcome back to the Unplugged Diaries, the podcast where we explore whether screens are actually our demise. Today, we are talking about our previous cover of my screen detox, to which I did an 8-hour detox from screens. Yes, folks, you heard me right. Eight whole hours without a single show, phone call, scroll on TikTok, or a single minute of Grey's Anatomy. Considering the last issue, today we are going to dive into the topic of screen addiction, to which yes, I would attest, is a real problem in our society. Have you ever had your mom say that that damn phone was the problem for everything? Have a headache? Broke your arm? It's that damn phone. Let's face it, screens are everywhere these days. From smartphones and tablets to TVs and laptops, they dominate our waking hours. So, let's dive into it. A 2014 survey provided by CIBC, as mentioned in my last screen detox, found that Canadians check their phone over 100 times a day. That's more than once every 10 minutes, folks. Therefore, I would say in confidence that just like myself, screen addiction is not only real, but a real problem in our society. My screen detox began with the realization that I needed to distract myself. I will admit it here, folks, I am a scroller, from when I wake up to when I go to bed, and even if I have a few minutes here and there. And even, I'll be a little crass here, I surely don't read shampoo bottles when I'm in the bathroom for a while, if you get what I mean. Like I mentioned in my last issue, and highlighted by Jeannal, there are many challenges of self-control when it comes to these platforms. Their study linked social media cravings to something called depletion sensitivity, which in English means the more we use social media, the harder it is to resist it. This highlights a key point. Social media fills our time with bite-sized bursts of stimulation and entertainment, which in turn means that those moments needed to be filled with something that gave me the same stimulation. What if I get bored, I constantly ask myself. Because social media is often used as a way to escape the dreadful feelings of boredom, I knew I was going to experience those exact feelings during my detox. So, I came up with a plan. Think of all the fun things that I can do without a screen, and I should be good. I figured that golfing would be good because 18 holes takes roughly 4 to 6 hours, so that's most of the time. Then there's going for a walk, reading, and taking a nap, which also, I would mention, is both mentally and physically stimulating, a contrast to the passive scrolling of social media. I started my detox journey at 11 a.m. and ended at 7 p.m. My tea time was at 11.30, and the drive was roughly 20 minutes. Therefore, the other 10 minutes was getting dressed for the occasion and getting all my stuff packed. I have to say, it was pretty hard not listening to the radio when I was driving. During my round, I felt pretty good starting out. Can't be checking a phone while I'm driving the ball. And yes, at times, I did feel like checking it. Luckily, however, I left it at home because I knew my strong temptations might take me over. I also brought my partner, so he was really good company while I was going through the withdrawals of texting. When I finally got home at 3, I made some pasta to let those waking hours without my beautiful phone pass by. But after all those carbs and boredom setting in a little harder than I had wished, I figured a nice nap would do me good, considering I really didn't have anything else to do. When I woke up all refreshed, the first thing I would normally do is check my phone. But when I reached for it, it wasn't there. So, what did I do? I decided that a refreshing walk would wake me up. And luckily, when I got home, I realized that I had bought some painting stuff in case my other activities weren't filling up my time. And after a long dinner and sitting and chatting with my family and a little bit of reading, 7 p.m. finally hit. And how glad was I that 7 p.m. finally hit. My screen detox was a wake-up call, to say the least. I realized it's not about giving up screens entirely, but rather, use them in moderation. So yes, folks, if you want to stay in bed for a few more minutes, fall asleep to your favorite TikTok dances, or pass time by while you're on the john, that's totally okay. I'm not saying that you need to throw the phone in the trash. Rather, next time, when you reach for that damn phone like mom always says, ask yourself, am I using this productively, or am I just mindlessly scrolling so that my brain turns into scrambled eggs? Thanks for joining us on the Unplugged Diaries today. We'll be back next week with another exploration of the digital world. I'm your host, McKinney G., and have a great night.