Today, for the first time in as long as I can remember, I did not use my phone for eight straight daylight hours. Throughout my first two years at NYU Abu Dhabi, I’ve tried to become more mindful of my relationship with technology, primarily with my phone. I’ve downloaded apps that monitor my screen usage, which help me reduce the overall time I spend on my phone. Regardless of this, it still is the first thing I pick up in the morning and the last thing I put down before I fall asleep.

I used to justify behaviour like this by saying that I was staying in touch with friends and family through social media applications like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. What I realized, though, is that I would often opt to send snaps to acquaintances I made rather than schedule a meetup for coffee or lunch. I also noticed that some of the best times of my life were spent not on my screen, but on adventures I had with friends in real life. Sherry Turkle, the author of Reclaiming Conversation, mentions that there is a twofold purpose through having conversations with people offline. By having conversations with others, we can have better inner dialogue, which is crucial in times where there is no one to talk to, like when waiting for a train, or standing in a moving elevator. She also mentions how the mere presence of a phone on a dinner table can alter the types of conversations that occur. When I did not have my phone on me today, everything felt quieter. Walking on campus felt serene, and I did not feeling anxiety about checking phone notifications, because I didn’t have it on me. I feel like if I had my phone on me, I would have felt much more anxious about checking it, even if it was off.

In the short story The Machine Stops, E.M. Forster illustrates a world where humanity’s every want can be satiated through the “Machine”, to the point that characters in the story would rather stay hooked to the Machine than leave their rooms and experience sunlight. In many ways, I have felt this desire before. I would fall into YouTube rabbit holes or find myself missing sunset because of my video game playing habits. Forcing myself not to use my electronic devices allowed me to take advantage of the natural stopping-cues that come in daily life; It allowed me to have more ownership of what I want to do instead of just watching the next TV show episode because Netflix says it’s starting in 5 seconds.

In both The Machine Stops and Reclaiming Conversation, there is the concept that nuances of expression cannot be transmitted through the Machine. This is the primary motivation, in my life, for engaging with others and having conversations off the internet. There are so much more sensory input such as body language and vocal tone when communicating in real life. Today helped me learn a lot about myself and my cravings for my electronic devices. Although I don’t think I will be going on another 8-hour device detox, I do hope to use my learnings to have mini-detoxes where I put my phone away and focus on what really matters in the present.