While on holiday recently, my phone battery was running low, and I asked my husband if he could please pass me my charger. He laughed and said “Babe, all you do on holidays is search for WiFi and charge your phone“. I laughed in response, rolling my eyes in my head and thinking “But I’ve barely been with phone or WiFi for the past two days. And I haven’t even posted on Instagram *straight face*.”
It reminded me of this draft post that had been in notes for a few months but I never completed. At the time when I had written the first words, the inspiration had again come from my husband! Let me share what happened.
On a very fine Sunday, a few minutes after waking up and indulging in a little bit of turning, stretching and yawning, I finally whipped out my phone to check out what my daily devotional had to say. Interestingly, in relation to a brief note about the presence of God, it went on to give a task of the day in these words “Each time you pick up your phone today, let that remind you of the presence of God“. It wasn’t something new and you’ll recall I spoke about something similar in this post on prayer.
And it’s something I’d tried to practice sometimes.
So, I was therefore surprised when I heard an overly familiar laughter behind me, and then he went on to say “Hahahaha, that means you’ll be aware of the presence of God the whole day“. I didn’t even know my husband was awake, talk less of peeking over my shoulder and reading my devotional.
But that’s okay. That wasn’t what made me roll my eyes. Rather it was the slight shade that I was almost always on my phone! I countered him by saying “yes, I’ll be aware of God all day, but not because I’ll be on my phone. I’m not always on my phone babe.”
Can we see the trend here? Someone obviously thinks I spend a bit of time on my phone. And you know what they say about you not seeing the speck in your own eye but the log in others. Many times only people can point out your bad habits. Since then, I’ve tried to consciously be aware of my bad phone habits and seek to improve. Although I console myself nonetheless and believe that even if I do spend a bit of time on my phone, it’s because I’m constantly writing down blog posts and inspiration!
Truth is, it’s hard to be without a smart phone these days. And we can’t throw out the baby with the bath water. So let’s see what some of these bad habits are, and how we all can improve. While some are really terrible, others are much lighter.
1. Reaching for our phones first thing in the morning
Why on earth do we even do this? I don’t remember grabbing my phone first thing in the morning when I used one of those non-smart phones that could only send text messages. Do we really think that in the eight hours or less that we’ve slept, the world has changed that we need to catch up as quickly as we can?
Or we simply want to see what we’ve missed on Instagram & Twitter. I (and experts) really do believe this bad habit hinders your day. Many times we spend a good amount of time, simply being on the phone. It saps away all of the energy & drive we should have woken up with! Try keeping the phone away from your bed before you sleep off, and resolving to do a bit of work before you check your phones. This could be praying, reading a book, working out or anything else that’s way more productive!
2. Constantly refreshing social media icons (i.e. Addiction to social media!)
This probably deserves a post on its own and I’ve recently come across a number of articles where people have addressed their addiction to social media and the need to constantly check their notifications (even when there’s no outstanding notification!).
Some have suggested simply going cold turkey and deleting the apps, others turn of the notification alerts, while others download apps that show them just how much time they spend on these platforms. This realisation often leads to the desire to cut down. Whatever way we choose to approach it, it’s important that we consciously curb this addiction and rather try to engage in other meaningful activities.
3. Using Phones while Driving! (Or walking)
Don’t. Simply don’t. It really takes less than a split second for disaster to happen. I have a scar on my forehead from a bike accident I had about seven years ago, which could have been averted if I wasn’t walking and texting. But that’s a story for another day.
4. Taking pictures or videos of everything!
I know. I get it. We want to capture the moment. And nothing’s wrong with that. But it gets rather counter productive when in trying to capture the moment, we don’t actually live in the moment. Some people whip out their phone at e-v-e-r-y opportunity. Trying to get the perfect photo or video for the ‘gram or for the snap! I think we should consciously try to live in the moment and pictures/videos should be tiny reminders of how great that moment was and not reminders of how we really failed to live in that moment.
5. Replacing verbal communications with texting.
Texting is great. Whatsapp is probably even better. I mean, we love to include emojis in every sentence. And send LOLs and LMAOs even when our faces remain straight. But, are we now guilty of replacing verbal communication with texts?
I was speaking to a friend recently and she mentioned how she was looking forward to a first date with someone she had been ‘speaking‘ to. “I wonder what he’s really like and how the conversation will be“, she said. “Oh surely there shouldn’t be much surprises“, I replied. “You both have been speaking for over 6 months“. And then she said “we’ve only been texting. Never actually spoke on the phone!“. In my mind, I’m thinking “so you don’t actually know what his voice sounds like…he could creep up behind us right now speaking so loudly and you wouldn’t have a clue!“. I think texting can’t take the place of speaking and we shouldn’t want it to.
Pick up the phones and call. There’s something warming about hearing the voice of family and friends on the phone.
6. Using the phones on the meal tables
This really isn’t the best etiquette. It’s slightly permissible to check occasionally, but being with our phones for the most part of the meal comes off as anti-social! And I’ve been previously accused of this before by my colleagues at work, as I often try to maximise my lunch time and write blog posts or reply and send emails. But then the rest of the table may think I’m not interested in the conversation. So now, I make a conscious effort to be fully present during meals. And you should too.
7. Not Charging our phones
I might be the only one guilty of this, so maybe I’m including it for my own sake. The essence of having a phone, is so that you’re reachable. But if it’s never charged, you might as well be without one! It’s the reason why I’m often asking for chargers at work and when I’m out. Investing in a power bank or two is also helpful for occasions when you may not have access to direct power supply.
8. Not saving peoples’ contact details
You know that awkwardness when someone calls you and for the life of you, you cannot remember who it is – but they speak to you in such a familiar way. You try to carry on the conversation, hoping you’d suddenly remember who they are. Well, that happened to me a lot!
And that’s because I hardly saved people’s phone number. For the longest time I didn’t even have Tee’s number on my phone. I mean, I knew it off hand so? But it’s really good practice to save numbers. And to save them well. With full (or recognisable) names. It avoids that awkwardness. It prevents you scrolling through your entire chain of text messages trying to figure out the one message they sent to you. And much more importantly, it can be useful in an emergency. If you have a home number or alternate phone number, these should be saved as well.
9. Shouting while speaking on the phone
No, you’re not allowed to. Except you’re a 100% sure you’re alone, and no one is likely to bump into that space. Or except the person you’re speaking to at the other end, has some form of hearing difficulty. If not, the entire world need not know who you’re speaking to and what your conversation is about!
10. Not responding to (social media) messages
It’s interesting how surprised people seem when I reply my direct messages on Twitter & Instagram. In my mind, I’m thinking “why wouldn’t I? I’m not famous now“. But apparently some people simply ignore their messages.
It’s understandable if you get hundreds of messages as that can be an administrative nightmare. Or if you get messages with no substance! But if you get the trickles here and there with people genuinely reaching out to you for information or guidance, don’t ignore these. You wouldn’t want your own DM ignored would you?
11. Using phones in Church & not having them on silent
I generally do not use my phone in church. Although sometimes towards the tail end and during the (long) announcements, it gets tempting to while away time by being on the phone. But I try to restrain myself until everything is over. What could be that important?
But some people are very active users of their phone in church. While some claim to use it to read an e-bible or record the sermon, others simply check messages, receive phone calls and use social media as normal. If you attend church with the intention of spending time with God, personally I think using phones (especially as the latter set of people) is a no. Let’s ensure our phones are also on silent at such times, so as not to disturb other persons.
There might be a few others way down the scale, like excessive use of emojis, responding to long messages with just ‘k’ (this is really annoying!) using short form abbreviations ‘dat hut d eyez’ or sending unlimited broadcast messages!
But let me hear from you. What phone bad habits are you guilty of (and how are you trying to quit!). What do others do that drive you absolutely nuts…. (you should send this post to them!). Share share!
Love,
Kachee… xx
What to read next:
Debs
May 31, 2017 at 08:32This post seems to be addressing me. Like I am guilty of 1- 6 and that last point (in tears), I pray everyday that God forgives me. It has become a terrible addiction and I once told my sister that I’d one day do without internet and she said that will be the most productive day of your life and I was like “WAWU…”I’m thinking of trying to do that like once a week until it becomes an habit, I’m sure I will not die…Whoever really need to reach me should be able to call.I am also learning to leave my phone at home every Sunday to enjoy the brief 2 hours with God.We really need to learn when to use phones and when to put them now. I do not even want to share the details of my most embarrassing moment when I visited my fiance’s parents for the first time and I was called out for being too phone conscious!
evi orukele
May 31, 2017 at 08:35Great post as always! I am guilty of not saving phone numbers and I also hate a conversation ridden with abbreviation for every word. As to use of my phone while walking or in public transport I generally do not do it,for fear of theft especially if you live in an unsafe region. My friend’s phone got snatched in public transport about 4 days ago another’s was snatched by the exact same means earlier in the year.
Adaeze
May 31, 2017 at 08:41Hehehe , the bad habit of “not saving people’s contact details” is just me. Felt like you were talking to me. I just get too lazy to save them and keep consoling myself with the fact that I am good with numbers and once I see a number for the first time, I will definitely recognise it the next time. But this doesn’t always work. I now make conscious efforts to save numbers . But on the other hand, I think its a better evil not to save my number rather than saving it with places or events eg: saving my two numbers as “Ada Church 1 and Ada Church 2, not like I am a Nigerian Movie. lol. This makes me feel without the place or event, I don’t have an identity, I think its another bad habit on its own. We should endeavour to identify people because I mean strangers are just friends we haven’t met yet.Picking the phone first thing in the morning for me is a No No!!. I often get upset wit B when he does it. I am always like”don’t you know the first thing you do when you wake is your idol? why don’t you pray” and this always works even in my absence, he says “as I was about picking my phone I remembered you I quickly kept it”lol.Shouting on the phone I think is a Nigerian mother bad phone habit too. when on the bus, you can simply hear everything they say and to them its nothing. Even when you talk in a calm manner they will get worried and ask if you are ok or you have a headache.lol . A friend often complains after talking with her Mum who will even shout and say she should speak louder or call her back when she can talk properly. I always burst out with laughter. Only God can help us with this one o. lolDoes using the phone in the bathroom also amount to bad habit? If yes, I think it will die hard for me o, because I mean there are a lot of inspirations and productivity at that point.
Kezzygrace
May 31, 2017 at 09:03I cant help but admit how awesome, useful and helpful this post is I just can’t 👍
Afoma
May 31, 2017 at 10:00Lol I’m so happy to have been rescued from checking my phone first thing in the morning! I really try to stop taking photos of everything and it has made me more present and appreciative of moments. Phones should work for us and not vice versa or us sacrificing our personal lives on the altar of smartphones, lol! Great post as always, Kachi.afomaumesi.com
Ufuoma
May 31, 2017 at 11:20I’ve been giving this topic serious thought lately. It’s so incredible to see how phones are taking away real, heartfelt conversations. It’s worrying to be honest and definitely needs to stop. I know how ‘addictive’ it can be and I am thankful that smartphones have made our lives somewhat easier. I mean, we can go to the bank from our phone, shop groceries from our phone, reach our loved ones miles and miles away, from our phone. But, that same phone can really take away from the moment.Point 4 really hits home. Being a travel blogger means I may have to document some of my travels. I’ve had to struggle to find a balance between capturing moments and enjoying the moment. I found a way to make it work though. As soon as i get to an interesting landmark that I think is worth sharing, I spend 5 minutes only, taking photos and then that’s it. Doesn’t matter if I get a great shot or not, I leave it as it is. Thankfully, I am able to get at least one shot right and I keep it moving. It is also important to note that not every moment needs to be captured. Who are you capturing it for? Yourself or people online? If it is for yourself, if memorable enough, you will not forget it.Last weekend, I went to open a bank account and the lady shockingly told me she has no cell phone. I was like, “what if someone needs to reach you?” “How are you coping?” She said she has a home phone so she can catch up with people when she gets home at night but while she’s living during the day, she prefers to be in the moment and not drowning in her cell phone. She also has no social media as well. in her words, “My husband makes me breakfast every morning, why do i need to take a photo and put it online saying I have the best husband in the world? Nobody else needs to know that, as long as he knows that!” I found that really interesting. I guess it also helps that she lives with her husband so there might be little or no reason to be in contact with people during the day as she will be going back to him at night but what about those in long distance relationships, or those away from home, etc? Ah well.Anyway, great post, as always. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.www.theufuoma.comtravel lifestyle passion
Grace Smart
May 31, 2017 at 13:10Pretty insightful. with the advent of whatsapp story, I’m constantly on my phone. Bad habit. And chatting or using your phone while charging? Bad habit. Let it charge first, then, you can use it.www.liveinibadan.blogspot.com
Berry Dakara
June 1, 2017 at 02:14This is one that’s been bugging me the past few weeks (maybe because I’m “nesting” now) – but people carrying their phones into the bathroom – like, how many germs get on the phone?!?!?!?!*shudders*www.berrydakara.com
Bubu Green
June 1, 2017 at 14:52So much of my thoughts, dear. I even whipped up a synopsis of the scenarios to publish today but remembered I have to celebrate the blog’s first birthday. Dear Lord, it’s crazy. I turn off notifications.Thank God, my kids take over the phone, so that keeps me away from the phone. What I do now is charge my phone far away from my bedside and my dear it’s worked, I now say my prayers and meditate. Instead of trying to check the time with my phone and start scrolling through notifications, I put a bold clock in the room so I have no excuse. I’ve been liberated…Harllerluryar! You too can *handing you tracts*😇www.bubusboulevard.com
TRAVEL WITH A PEN
June 1, 2017 at 18:39I used to say I wasn’t addicted to my phone. I could go days without missing it. I didn’t mind not renewing data subscriptions but now, I’m afraid I can’t say that completely. I actually check my phone first thing in the morning. It’s unavoidable because it is also how I check the time but there was a time I would turn my phone off each night before going to bed. Stopped doing that in case of an emergency. I check my SM accounts too every morning, sigh…Guilty of not charging my phone too – which just does not make sense in Nigeria, with our power cuts and all. And also not saving contacts – Laziness really.There are just some things I am committed to not doing though. I will not have my phone when I am out with someone and I will not text and drive.www.travelwithapen.com | Travel Differently
Yummy Mum Life
June 2, 2017 at 17:57INFACTTT!This is that one thing we are gulity of or know someone who is.Like Bubu said I now charge my phone far from my bedside and with my biggy belle I’m usually lazy to get it so I’m able to spend time in bed with the kids and my husband just gisting and catching up.It can be a huge distraction honestly.www.CheecheeLive.com
Kachee || KacheeTee.com
June 2, 2017 at 18:00Loool @ with your big belle! That actually helps. And sometimes wheny phone battery goes off, I just leave it like that (which is Obvs bad but let’s me forget about the phone!)
kudoslivingblog
June 4, 2017 at 05:44Am totally guilty of almost everything but reading this I have resolved to try as much as possible to make a changewww.kudoslivings.com
Fola
June 5, 2017 at 14:18I had to consciously stop number 1.I pictured God looking at me like “see this girl that I just woke up… no thank you, no good morning Jesus, Instagram straight”It’s sad when our source of entertainment slowly cuts back our time for fellowship with God.Thegraceadventures.com
Okoro Yvonne
June 5, 2017 at 15:53I hate number 9 and I’m actually guilty of number 1.www.okoroyvonne.com
Abby
June 7, 2017 at 15:37I’m so gulity of no 1 but that is because my phone doubles as my alarm and I have no choice than to grab it, when I do realise I’m getting hung up on SM I delete ’em apps off my phone. Its easier for me that way and after some weeks or months in some cases I reinstall. I do take calls while driving but I’ve cut down on texts except its really important.The information overload from being with our phones 24-7 is crazy but it definitely takes conscious effort to cut down.Xx
glowingscenes
June 9, 2017 at 21:55Okay so my phone data was almost exhausted and I was forced to go on a social media strike a few times. I would love to say that period of my life was bliss kind of as I was restricted to spending time on more important things.Lmaooo @the K response. Omg!!! I don’t like it at all. I also have a bad habit of not saving people’s number immediately and when the person calls, I pray my photographic memory works for me at that point or if the person buzzes, the dp or previous conversation helps.It’s amazing how before phones we were living life and it was fun. Sometimes I find myself wishing I had a time machine to take me back to that time, savor the moment for a few days and return to the present. Now it seems as if without social media, there’s hardly any fun around. I guess the device has it’s advantages and disadvantages.Interesting post as always Kachi! Xx
Belema Ronabere
June 12, 2017 at 21:58Best read I’ve had all day. Even though that just points out the fact that I’ve been online all day. I LIVE on my phone. Your husband and my boyfriend say the same things even though my bf is also guilty. He’s better than me though. The most important to me is NOT checking my phone in the morning before praying. I will learn it!I want God to be the most important person in my life.
Kachee || KacheeTee.com
June 12, 2017 at 22:49Hahaha @ your bf. He prob doesn’t think he’s guilty. Checking immediately we wake up has to be the worst! We need to overcome and put God first. Thanks for your comment! Xx
Aisha
August 25, 2018 at 02:04Just strolling past again.. and all of these have probably gotten worse sef. God help us. It really irks me when people don’t respond to their messages (say WhatsApp) but they’re on IG all the time. Like how??? Smh
Kachee || KacheeTee.com
August 26, 2018 at 06:06Honestly it can be such a struggle. I’m going to bed without my phone these days so that’s a step at least. Maybe I’m just exhausted from the day I don’t even bother to look for it. As for not responding while being on another platform, people say it’s different moods so they might be in IG but not in a whatsapp mood 😭