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Be Social Part 2: Thanks to the thieves that stole my phone

By on 2015/04/22
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Be Social Part 2 by Laura Salesa

 

Four weeks ago, two thieves taught me a good lesson. As I was walking back home from work, and while checking some emails, oblivious to the world around me, these two masked criminals drove their motorbike onto the pavement to get behind me and snatched my phone out of my hand without any effort.

As I saw them driving away in deep frustration, it only took me few seconds to ask myself “how did this happen to you?!”. And certainly, it can happen to anyone, as most of us have acquired this custom of looking at our phones from anywhere and at any spare occasion: at the GP’s waiting room, while queuing at the supermarket, while waiting for a traffic light to turn green… as if there was always something we could be missing out from the online world. Meanwhile, as we walk like zombies with a bent neck, we hardly look up at our environment or the people around us.

So I asked myself “how did this happen to you?!” not because I feel like some kind of super cautious person (I’ve been mugged twice before), but because I have spent quiet an amount of time lately encouraging people to not depend that much on phones, to pay attention to their surroundings and have breaks from technology for sake of our sanity. An argument that made a key message in my own debut fictionnovel. However, as if my dark alter ego had orchestrated in a mission to prove out I don’t always practice why I preach (I plead guilty, but not always), I find me preaching to myself.

Oh well, we can’t go against the currents. One of my uncles has never had a tv set at home. He would read books, and now in his sixties he keeps consistent with it. I work in Media and Design, so it would be less than wise to stay away from technology advancements, it is the only way forward for me to keep evolving and developing my career. However, lines are getting blurred between staying informed and up-to-date and not being able to cope a day without your phone.

I asked myself “how did this happen to you?!” because I been encouraging people to not depend that much on phones, to pay attention to their surroundings and have breaks from technology for sake of their own sanity.

I was one of the few parents in the playground that were not looking at their phones while their children were climbing up the slide while screamed for the 5th time “Mummy look!”.

I had a taste of it after the theft. From the very first second they took it away and I couldn’t ring my husband on the spot to tell him about it, to the frustration of not being able to quickly take a photo of something and share it instantly to my contacts with the usual “hey, look what I’ve been doing yada-yada”. I even blocked for a second when I realised that I couldn’t set up the work alarm because my alarm clock was my phone.

Two full days I spent without a phone until I got a new SIM card. And after the initial shock –pat on the chest in sign of pride- I didn’t miss it that much. Actually my eyes were happy to get a rest in between work hours. I enjoyed the landscape in my way back home and didn’t have to worry about chargers or the “oops, I left my phone downstairs” before going to bed.
When I received the SIM card I put it in one of the way back pre-smart phones still working that I had at home. Just back to basics, a phone for calling and texting. I went with my daughter to the park and I was one of the few parents in the playground that were not looking at their phones while their children were climbing up the slide while screamed for the 5th time “Mummy look!”.

And when I was ready to buy a new phone I decided to get smaller and simpler one, because after my short “phone rehab” I came to think that I needn’t to have the latest biggest model. Plus hopefully, it wouldn’t get that much attention from the naughty thieves.

Is he missing out or are the others?

Every year I go on camping. It is a great experience that makes you realise how fortunate you are to get so many little comforts like a washing machine and a proper bed. Lately it also servers the purpose to stay away from a screen and a mouse that reminds me of work. I encourage you to have your breaks from technology. Live your phone at home for one day. Go on a weekend break without it. Read books, play noughts and crosses on a piece of paper with your partner.

Then -I promise you- you will be more effective in analysing and digesting information online. You will learn to optimise the time you spend posting and sharing and will consider the way to balance it with other “activities”, like making paper aero planes, playing ping pong, doing a bit of DIY at home.

And my last word of advice, if you can’t wait 10min until you get home to check your emails, hold your phone by the hand that is not by the road as you walk!

 

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