SMARTPHONE ADDICTION BREAKING

Like most Americans, for many years now I have known my smartphone as one of my closest companions. It is always there to make me laugh, keep me connected, or distract me from worries. It's the last thing I look at each night and the first thing I look at each morning. 

But lately I have been noticing more distance between me and the phone. And it is nothing I set out specifically to do. It is largely a byproduct of some of my new habits. 

First, I am making sure that my morning coffee time is spent with Scripture instead of Twitter. Yes, I typically use the Bible app on my phone, but that's just so I can read while the house is still dark. In my mind, I am holding the Bible in my hand and not a phone. 

Second, I have gotten back into reading actual physical books so that I can underline important thoughts. So if I get a spare 20 minutes in the evening, I am now more likely to pick up a book than to look at my phone. 

And finally, I have decided the fifteen minute drive to and from school is a good time to prioritize quiet meditation and prayer over turning on a podcast. On my way to work in the morning, I try to pray for my students, co-workers and administrators. On my way home, I pray for my family. 

I realized the smartphone's hold on me was loosened last week when I left the house, forgetting to get my phone off the charger. That would have driven me crazy in the past, but now it didn't phase me.