How many times a day do you reach for your phone?

Surveys suggest we grab our phones between 144 and 205 times every day.

• In one study, 57%—more than half of all Americans—admitted they were addicted to their phones.

• While 54% of smartphone users report feeling more informed, 54% also report a sense of eye strain from all that screen time.

• 50% concede that checking in with their phones makes them less productive.

• Another 43% admit their phones cause them to struggle to pay attention.

• 30% say their phone use leads to anxiety. And 21% report all that phone time contributes to a sense of depression.

The problem is not just that we check our phones too often—but that we gawk at them too long. In fact, the average person spends 4 hours and 37 minutes on their phone every day. That's the equivalent of more than 1 day per week or 6 days per month. Across a year, that's approximately 70 days spent looking at a phone.

https://explodingtopics.com/blog/smartphone-usage-stats

Sadly, most of us sneak a peek at our phones while eating with our spouse, playing with our kids, or talking with our friends. And every time we do that, we communicate something we never intended to say: “My phone is more important than you. Any ping, ding, or chime is ahead of you in line.”

I'm as guilty as the next person. If an in-person conversation is running "slow," or I'm wondering if Amazon has finally delivered my package, you might catch me looking at my phone.

How could a hunk of plastic and glass hold such sway? Why can’t we/won’t we give people the thing they need the most: our undivided attention?

Lord, deliver us from being phone-wise and soul-foolish. Because when it takes away from real connection with real people, there’s nothing smart about a smartphone.

 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."     -Matthew 7:12