Virginia Ruth 2/6/24 Virginia Ruth 2/6/24

Flip Phone February

Flip phone February. Perhaps you heard this “new” description of the month. No, it is not a new Hallmark card series- although they seem to have a card for every occasion. Rather it is a month-long attempt to practice a different and, according to researchers, healthier behavior. It is in line with dry January, sober October, dry July: a small commitment in behavior, just thirty days or so, in order to receive some health benefits.

This past month my “smart” phone was not acting too smartly. It turned out the cellular data connection of the phone was not working at all and so I could not make and receive calls nor communicate texting with SMS. After many phone calls and much conversation with our phone carrier, it was determined that I needed to receive a replacement phone but it would take about two weeks to resolve.

So I pulled out the old portable telephone (thank goodness we didn’t get rid of it during the move) and plugged it into the jack attached to the incoming internet box which is attached to the breaker box in the basement. All of which is behind an access panel. Due to its location, it was a little awkward using the phone. If we removed the portable from its base, we had to return it to its recharger every night. Having not used the phone in this house, it was strange to hear a muffled phone ring. We would wonder outloud, “what’s that sound"? Then it would dawn on us, “the phone!” and we would dash downstairs, hoping to get to the phone before the caller hung up.

When my cell phone first stopped working, I panicked. How was I going to communicate? I was waiting to hear back from some workmen and their means of communicating was texting. There was a new group in which I was involved and I was afraid I would miss messages of upcoming events (again using texting). Being new to the area, I didn’t know many of the people’s email addresses, regular addresses, much less their last names. If they tried contacting me and I didn’t respond, I didn’t want them to think that I was ignoring them.

Once I let go of the idea that I didn’t have to respond immediately to any texts and that if folks needed to get me, they could, I relaxed. I kind of enjoyed the two week reprieve.

Having just dealt with the smartphone problems a recent NY Times article* caught my attention. The author talked about trying a flip phone for a month.

I thought is that even possible? The repeated comment from the carrier was that I needed to update to a new phone (not go “backwards”) because my old phone would soon not be “supported”. While waiting in the carrier store, I was amazed at the bombardment of all the new phones. It seems as if what really is updated is the speed in which the advertisements can be sent to us -faster, in better color and “more realistic”. The upgrades are for things that I am pretty sure I don’t want.

As the author of the article points out, she was tied, maybe addicted, to her phone. By scaling back to just a flip phone, she felt she had more time, felt physically better and eventually (took her family and friends a little bit of time to adjust) led to better relationships because she was actually calling and talking to them. There was a down side- her work, some of the items in her house, even her car required having apps. She had to find other work arounds and that took time.

Around the same time I heard a radio interview with a physician, Dr. Romie Mushtaq, the author of The Busy Brain Cure. Her premise is that we need to reset our brains. A lot of our ills comes from our technology: blue screens, overstimulation, having to always be “on” 24/7. She goes in depth about many physical ailments and how, by buying her book and program, one can feel better in 6-8 weeks. While I am a little suspect about an individual having the miracle cure - which is usually self-promotion, she does offer some universal suggestions that the writer of the NYTimes article also suggested:

Important to not look at the blue screen (or any type of blue screen- monitor, TV) at least 45 minutes before bedtime.
Limit the number of interactions of looking at the phone. Ironically, there is an app that records the amount. But, that might not be a bad app to have in order to assess how much we are tied to our phones.

In the beginning of those two weeks, I was fussed and bothered about the whole phone debacle. When I finally let go of the fact that I wasn’t missing anything (the people who needed to get in touch with me were still able to do so) it was kind of nice. I didn’t feel the pressure of having to check my phone regularly and felt somewhat free. Almost as if I were on holiday. I realized that while I wouldn’t say I was “addicted”, I certainly was no longer using the smart phone as a tool. The tool had become my master- dictating my schedule, even my moods.

What about you? Has your phone become a tech appendage? Does it dictate how your day is arranged? Have you ever had your phone inoperable for a while? What happened? Did you learn any lessons? What were they?

I am back in the smart phone world. My phone was replaced and so far, all is working fine. While I still look at my phone, I am finding I am not doing so as frequently. I realized that before I was looking at it, more from habit that any desire for new information. I just needed to break that habit. While I don’t know how practical the flip phone February might be- switching over to a different phone for a month- I do know that when I had to be without a smart phone, it was rather nice.

*https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/06/technology/smartphone-addiction-flip-phone.html

Virginia Ruth 9/15/21 Virginia Ruth 9/15/21

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream...

What do you think about technology? Is it helping you in life or is it hindering? Can you go a week, a day, a morning, an hour without checking your phone or any of your devices?

Dr. Larry Rosen is a scientist researching how technology and our brains function together. His study determined that technology, namely smart phones with its notifications and blue lights disrupts our sleep. It makes sense that the emissions from the blue light of devices can make it difficult to fall asleep, but it is also the notifications, blips, dings during the day that can cause sleeping problems. All those alerts can cause anxiety, perceived or not, and can cause increases in cortisol levels. He writes:

“My colleagues and I at California State University, Dominguez Hills, conducted sleep research that stems from my lab’s work on the “psychology of technology,” where we have discovered two important variables that encourage us to use (and misuse) technology, thereby losing sleep: (1) poor executive functioning, which includes our (in)ability to pay attention, problem solve, control our impulses, and make decisions, and (2) anxiety. In our work, anxiety is sometimes referred to as FOMO, or the fear of missing out. We see this anxiety in the majority of smartphone users who feel uncomfortable if they are not in direct contact with their phones — and their many electronic connections — 24/7/365. A dead battery and no charger can bring upon a panic attack.”

His suggestion is to use our phones as a tool: to control the tool, not to have the tool control us. He writes in Harvard Business Journal:

“During the day, practice not reacting to incoming alerts or notifications like one of Pavlov’s dogs. Don’t check your phone every time it beeps. In fact, turn off notifications and check on a schedule to retrain your brain’s neurotransmitters (particularly cortisol). Start by checking every 15 minutes, and gradually increase that to 30 minutes or more. Tell your family, friends, and colleagues that you may not respond immediately, but you will within a specified amount of time, such as 30 minutes to an hour later.

Stop using all devices one hour prior to sleep.
Put all devices away in another room rather than keep them in the bedroom to discourage you from checking them during the night. (If you must keep a phone nearby in case of emergency, set it so that it only rings when certain people are calling, but still place it across the room and away from your bedside.)
An hour before bedtime, start dimming the room lights slowly to release melatonin.
During the last hour before bedtime, choose an activity that your brain will find predictable and, thus, not anxiety-provoking. Consider any of the following:
- Watch a television show that you love, maybe even a repeat.
- Read a paper book (or use a Kindle which doesn’t emit blue light) by a familiar author.
- Listen to music that is very familiar like a playlist of your favorite songs. If you need a device to do this, burn CDs and get a CD player. (The key is to use a device that doesn’t have internet access, email, or a phone.) Keep the volume low.
- If you awaken in the middle of the night, try this trick: have a song lyric in mind (not the whole song) that you plan to sing in your mind over and over to block the anxiety and allow you to fall back to sleep. Another option is to learn one of many meditation techniques and practice and use those skills to calm your mind.” (https://hbr.org/2015/08/research-shows-how-anxiety-and-technology-are-affecting-our-sleep)

I can relate to Dr. Rosen’s anecdote about the panic attacks with uncharged phones. I had a similar experience one time when I traveled by myself to our little cottage get-away. At the time we did not have landline service and only relied upon our cell phones. I had a couple days of panic while I saw my usage bar shrinking as I was trying to figure out why my phone was not charging. (And yes, we had power and I did have the charging cord.). The thing is, my panic was totally unnecessary. I was not in any place that could be called the hinter land. I had neighbors closer than 50 feet. If I needed to contact family members I am sure that the neighbors would’ve helped. I could’ve certainly driven to the phone store to assist me. Worst case financial scenario would be that I would’ve had to buy a new phone. I was in a position of options which did not need to include panicking. Before cell phones, I certainly visited places that did not have phone service or service readily available. Back then, the likelihood of my having a problem was just a probable as now, but I never panicked back then.

I have been thinking Dr. Rosen’s research and my smart phone usage and my difficulty in sleeping at times- waking up @ 3 am. Is there a correlation? I am wondering if I have been too attentive to my phone- letting it dictate my day rather than the other way around. I am trying to implement some changes: namely responding to the phone at specific intervals in my work day and eliminating any notifications.

What about you? How are you with your smart phone? Are you always looking at it? Or do you not know where it is? Do have trouble falling asleep or in waking up in the wee hours of the morning? To what do you attribute the lack of sleep?

According to Dr. Rosen, when asking respondents how often they look at their phone, a person might say 30-40 times a day. In collecting the data, he determined it was more likely 70-150 times. (This was his review in 2017).

I found the following on reviews.org. They interviewed over 1,000 Americans about their cell phone habits as well as checking the phones’ screen time report. Below is the information from this last year. The statistics seem to be getting worse every year. (I do think the pandemic probably had something to do with it. Looking at our phones, trying to get more information about COVID was one way we could make sense of it all.)

In the history of humankind, the time frame of development and phone usage is just a blip. But in looking over the last century, any introduction of a new technology has increased our dependency on it, i.e. being controlled by it, rather than not: airplane, automobile, television, landline telephone, wireless/radio/stereo -not counting the 8 track tape :).

I wonder if we just have to settle-in to the phone idea. Think of it as a garden tool perhaps. I certainly do not think about or check my shovel all the time, only when I am prepared to use it.

If you look at the list of most important technological advances it varies depending upon the compiler: printing press, electricity, domestication of horses, penicillin, optic lens, paper currency, steel, internal combustible engine. I wonder did any of those inventions and technologies change brain chemistry as much as the phone?

Regardless, there has always been the tension between being so enamored by our inventions, our collective human cleverness if you will, and, in turn being “ruled” by our inventions and struggling not to do so.

For our physical and mental health, I think we need to humbly choose the latter.

Virginia Ruth 10/30/19 Virginia Ruth 10/30/19

Connection and Community Part 2- Technology

Community and connection. If we are made to have community, why then do we have difficulty in achieving it and what causes us to dis-connect with others?

In architecture they say “form follows function” but I almost think the opposite is true when it comes to designing a society: function follows form. How we build the structures in our society determines how we function in that society. The structure of modern society has been built around technology and technological advances. Consequently those technology structures determines how we function individually and collectively.

I am always fascinated with the question about innovation and change- does this new idea, technology, gadget enhance society or detract from it? Are new fangled things just creating change for change sake or do they serve a real purpose? What are the benefits and risks to society?

It seems we embrace the idea of something new sometimes before we think about the repercussions. And, it is not only thinking about the effect the new technology may have on what we currently experience but also the impact on the future.

Years ago I heard someone speak about the idea of transportation. For a time, train travel was king. There were railroads dotted across the country. Unfortunately, the various railroad companies didn’t think in terms of connection - just the possibility of their own travel line. The tracks were privately owned by different companies and so it was hard to connect from one station to the next. In Baltimore there were at least four different railroad stations across town, each associated with a different railroad company. There were no connecting tracks from one station to another. So if you came to town from a small town in Eastern Pennsylvania with the hope to travel by train to Ohio and beyond, you took the Maryland Pennsylvania RR (MaPa) to its station and then would have to take a horse drawn cab to the Baltimore Ohio station across town.

If the railroad innovators had thought about the goal of transportation, they would’ve focused on the idea of connection both in their current situation (connecting all rail lines) and connecting modes of transportation as the future unfolded. When air travel became prevalent the trains didn’t get involved and didn’t plan to expand the rail lines to the air fields. Wouldn’t it be nice now to travel to the airport without having to rely on congested highways? Trains can move more people much faster than the snarl ups and parking lot waits of the individual cars on the highways of today. It is a hassle to fly (forget about the TSA requirements) and part of it is the trouble in actually getting to the airport.

Technology can do that if we are not careful: the thing that is meant to make our lives easier and bring us together can make life harder and push us further apart. The telephone was made to bring us together. “Reach out and touch someone” the ads promised. Connecting by phone, hearing the actual voice of a loved one, distant relative or complete stranger living across the country or world is still amazing. Yet, the phone can keep a distance between speakers. You don’t get to see the eyes and the expressions on one’s face as the speaker talks. Consequently words can be spoken via the telephone that would never be said face to face. Many a household has heard the slam of a telephone in mid conversation as the listener became upset or enraged over the comment from the one on the other end of the line.

The future generation of the phone, the internet and all that it entails, has also brought the world together and apart. The technology of writing the words via email, twitter or Instagram can be even worse than what is actually said in a phone conversation. We are witnessing the outcome of vitriol towards one another- it tears at the fabric of community and civilization. And, all that can be accomplished via the internet can be done solo. Not only can we alienate others by our words, we can be physically alienated as we say them. That which was designed to bring us together has in fact, drawn us apart.

In pondering the question if technology makes us more lonely, I have come across conflicting ideas and studies. No surprise that some of the studies were sponsored by tech companies and therefore felt that technology/social media are good in bringing people together. And so technology can be. Many people have connected through finding lost friends or relatives via social media. People with common interests or concerns can find like minded individuals and discover that they are not the only one who thinks a certain way or has had a unique experience. I have met many wonderful, interesting and courageous people through this blog, which would not have occurred even twenty years ago.

I also saw studies looking at technology- Facebook and the like- and how being tied to social media and our computers affects individuals and their feelings of connection. The Atlantic magazine has a classic 2012 article about Facebook and loneliness. In it they noted that, “within this world of instant and absolute communication, unbounded by limits of time or space, we suffer from unprecedented alienation. We have never been more detached from one another, or lonelier.” They begin the article around the death of Yvette Vickers, a once B-movie actress who ended up dying alone in her home and was not found until @ six months after the fact by a neighbor. In finding the remains of Ms. Vickers, the neighbor also found the computer still on. Apparently, Ms. Vickers had no one in her life- no actual community or connection. She died as she was trying to reach out electronically to anyone who would listen.

With technology, it seems to be prudent to explore the idea of what tech is doing and not doing for us as a society. I am not advocating throwing the baby out with the bath water but perhaps we need a careful reasoning and thought process of what are the gains and losses with any new technology. Of course, there will always be cumulative problems or unforeseen/unpredicted outcomes but that shouldn’t negate the fact that we should think things through.

It makes me think of the Amish viewpoint of evaluating new technology. While I don’t agree with the lifestyle per se, I do like the idea that that we can (and should) pick what and how we choose to interact as part of being a modern society. I have heard that one of the reasons some of the Amish sects choose not to own or drive cars is that they feel that the automobile impacts the family and the way the community engages with one another. Certainly the solo driver going to work, stores, play, school, etc. bears out those fears.

There is an interesting project underway looking into using old and new technology in the shipping business: How can combining wind power and current boats be used in a way to reduce fuel consumption. By applying the modern sailing techniques (as learned through America’s Cup challenges) and more efficient engines, different companies from various countries (US, Japan, Denmark, Norway) are hoping to reduce fuel consumption on the large container ships by twenty percent or so. Click here to read the article.

What about you? Do you think about our fast pace technology and what it may or may not be doing to society? Have you seen technology impact your community or your connections with one another? Positively? Negatively?

Next week we will talk about ways to counter the negative effects of technology. Things we can do so that we can be in control and choose the best part of technology and maintain our sense of community and connection.

Virginia Ruth 6/27/16 Virginia Ruth 6/27/16

Seeing Red

What do you do when you see the dashboard lights? Ignore them? Panic? Pull over right away? Call your mechanic?

The other week we had a doozy of a light pop up- the red silhouette of a person with an airbag on its lap. The message was that the airbag system was malfunctioning. Oy vey.

I am so sick and tired of red signs and symbols. First you get all the red circles on your phone- ding, another text message or email. It is bad enough that the circles are there but in addition to the circle there is the number of unanswered/unopened emails or messages boldly displayed in the middle. Then there is the blinking light on the answering machine. Or the power failure for the stove or the dash board light. Once again reminding you that something is amiss.

I think the red on the dashboard pushed me over the edge. Enough of these sights and sounds. They all seem to taunt me with the idea that I am not keeping up, doing what I need to do and that I am grossly falling behind. I feel like I am back in grade school and there is no possibly way I could keep running much less finish the Presidential Fitness Award. I feel that panic that try as I might, my body isn't processing and doing things quickly enough and there is a pack of fitter, more organized, and better individuals out there.

Just last week my cell phone informed me that I was in danger of running out of storage. I realized, once again that I was not keeping up with my email or photo management.

What is a person to do?

I am ready to take a much needed break from technology. Of course that would greatly affect my writing and my profession. Many people have jobs where they have to use technology. There are few options. Technology is wonderful and in some ways, can make life easier and safer.

I was discussing this frustration with my family the other night over dinner. My ever practical son looked at me and wondered what was the big deal. Why couldn't I just see technology as a tool and so then choose when I wanted to use it?

Touche. Words that I have said and words that are true but just forgotten when one gets caught up with technology. I don't have to respond or act right away (unless that dashboard light is screaming that you stop, get out of the car and walk away). I need to remember that I am in charge of the technology, not the other way around. By definition a tool is a "means to an end" and "may apply to anything necessary to perform a task".

My nephew has an interesting blog. Click here to read it. Over the past week or so, he has had some postings about social media- pros and cons. I liked his guest writer's opinion about it- looking at technology in the context of addiction, what is feasible and what is not.

I am going to try and be intentional (that word that I love) in being the one in control of technology rather than the other way around. Here are some of my ideas:

I am trying to stick to a schedule of only checking email a couple of times a day.
When I do look at emails I will try to respond immediately- either answer it then or delete it. Similar to the old management idea of only touching a piece of mail once- answer, file it or get rid of it.
I will take some time each week to organize my electronic files: move pictures to folders; save (in a folder labeled so I can find) or delete documents.
I need to put my phone away (nearby but not right on my desk) so that I am not distracted checking messages when I need to be concentrating on work. This will be a little tricky as I feel that my family needs to get hold of me. In reality, if there is a little delay it will be okay.
At a certain point each day I need to put the technology down and pick up some low tech- a book, magazine, or paper.
Each week I will try and have a technology sabbath. It might just have to be a part of a day rather than a whole day but still a time when I am away from the computer and cell phone. Generally I feel better when I counterbalance the high tech with the low tech of being outdoors.

What about you? Are you bothered by all the blinks, dings, flashing lights and messages of modern devices? Do you find that any type of red marker gets you anxious? How do you handle it? What strategies do you employ to keep the technology beast at bay? Do they work?

Virginia Ruth 1/11/16 Virginia Ruth 1/11/16

There's An App For That

In a past Sunday's New York Times there was an article about one of the latest apps- the break-up app. Apparently the end of the year is one of the biggest times for relationship break ups. Guess it is the idea of out with the old, in with the new.

Not surprising that there is an app for dealing with difficulty in a relationship. There appears to be an app for any situation or predicament you might encounter.

In looking at a web site Statistica it claims that as of the summer 2015, over 100 Billion Apps were downloaded from the Apple store. The popular categories in descending order: games; business, education, lifestyle, entertainment, utilities, travel, books, health and fitness, music, productivity, food and drink, sports, photo and video, finance, news, reference, social networking, medical, navigation.

Over the holidays we were with family which included a newborn. I was amazed to learn that there are apps for parents to help with sleeping (choose the "white noise" e.g. hairdryer). In looking further, I found apps for potty training, behavior modification, reward charts, teaching children how to use money or make change or use an ATM. There is even a parenting app trend report- an app that lets you know the latest and best parenting apps.

Besides the break up app noted in the Times, there are other relationship type apps: apps to get you through break ups, apps to maintain a healthy marriage, apps for dealing with a long-distance relationship, apps to mend a broken heart, apps for saving you from an abusive relationship.

I am not against apps or the information that they impart. Why not use the expertise of someone else? If it can be given to us via our smart phone, all the better.

I just wonder what would happen if we cultivated conversation, civility and manners back into our lives? It seems to me that many of the relationship issues wouldn't exist if we thought of others before ourselves. What would happen if we practiced doing unto others as we would want done to us? If we remembered our "please, thank you's, or after you" would we need any of the relationship apps? I wonder what would happen if as a matter of course, everyone held a door for someone else? I bet there's an app for that.

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