I used to have two smart phones - one for personal use and one for business. The tracking capabilities and radiation of these devices started bothering me more than ever in the past 2 years since the COVID crisis began.
When you take a photo of your kids, it links a location and places it on the map (did not like that at all)
Smart phones have apps and software installed that can listen to your conversations
During COVID lockdowns, people were tracked where they were going and whether they were complying with lockdown restrictions (what???). It is all in the system and all for control.
The bill of these devices keep going on up with more mysterious fees
I felt that after chatting on it for a few minutes, I would have strange unpleasant sensations in my head
Kids grab them, trying to play with them, take photos, watch cardoons exposing themselves to radiation, constant images on youtube, etc. Though I did keep one phone on flight mode often if kids wanted to look at phone photos.
This list can go on and on…
What changes have I noticed since I have given smart phones up and have a simple old flip phone?
My monthly bill with all the fees is 11$ (used to be almost 200$ for three lines)
I still can text and call if I need to. Though I do not like texting on a flip phone as it takes so long
I installed desktop computer phone that I use for business and all the phone calls (similar to house phones). I can also use it for conference calling and fax. I pay 25$ a month for all the services
My family and I do not get exposed to cellular radiation as much as my flip phone is mostly off, nobody is interested in it as it does not have internet, any apps and does not take good photos. I often even forget I have it
The most important changes are the following
I feel well-balanced. I feel calm. Kids can make terrible messes, scream, argtue..it does not trigger me to be aggravated as my mind is not distracted…
Not distracted with positive and negative images. Nobody can send me 20 photos and expect me to respond instantly. I am not trying to say that I do not like getting photos from friends and family, I look at them when I sit down at the computer and open Telegram or Instagram. I look, close, and respond when I have time.
No constant texts, no images, no news, no videos…coming from my phone.
I am able to accomplish much more around the house, garden and for my practice.
I am also able to maintain one particular idea or thought for the whole day if I need to as I do not get too many stimulations to start thinking about other things. I feel with a smart phone it was not possible for me - you get a text from a friend, you start thinking about their issue, you read the news, you start thinking about what this news mean, etc. I am sure many people can resonate with it.
In general, I absolutely love all the changes.
The only two drawbacks I noticed:
I do get lost more often driving as I check where I am going beforehand and write it down on a piece of paper. Does not always work perfectly. i guess I can get back to using GSP in the car.
Friends, family and patients do complain from time to time that they cannot get me answer instantly. I try to rely on my desktop phone for phone calls but sometimes can miss them.
Children and Smart Phones..
This whole personal experience with smart phones and a lack of them got me thinking about our children, esp. pre-teens and teenagers.
We hand them these devices that are fun, easy to use, useful for knowing their location, so early. I hear some toddlers have their own personal smart phones now.
Do we fully understand what happens to their brains and their health?
Many pre-teens and teenagers I see in my naturopathic practice have unexplained anxiety. Yes, there are other causes, without any doubt, - poor diets, demanding school, deficiencies, social-media-inflicted perfectionism, genetics, etc. but it seems that smart phone makes it a lot worse.
Having a smart phone at all times makes your mind race. Race to think - I need to respond to this friend, that friend, but before that, let me check these notifications, oh, that is happening already, or these images from IG and videos from TikTok I need to look at right now…. And this racing can be happening for just 10 minutes. And then it goes over and over the whole day long…
An adult who did not use cell phones in childhood may be better equipped to disregard and control the usage of a device but a child may not be able to. Their brains are still developing, We know that the frontal cortex or executive function of the brain only finishes development by the age 25 or so. Plus, they see us with a smart phone all day long and they copy us, imitative our behavior, whether we want it or not.
Here is a great article about this topic by The Power Couple by Roman Shapoval.
I would always like to provide some practical ideas in my substacks about what we can do, what actions each of us can take, hence, the name of the substack Don’t Despair. We got this.
If you have children that have not yet gotten smart phones, considering using a flip phone can be a better option. Why? They can keep them off at school, text a bit to let you know where to pick them up or ask questions, they can use them for emergencies. Since the phones do not have much to them, the child does not grow dependent on all the apps, there is no internet. Plus, limited radiation due to it being off. Also you are saving money!
If you have children who have been using smart phones for a while, then turning them off completely at night (not just flight mode), turning them off at school during classes and breaks can be helpful to limit the radiation. Try to move some of the apps to their laptops that has an ethernet internet (directly to the laptop or computer so no wifi is used (to limit EMF as well). Also talking to children, explaining them that this device is not as safe as we initially thought, sharing research, your concerns can be affecting their behavior as well
Do not get them any 5G phones. Refuse from them at the mobile stores. Educate yourself about 5G. Again The Power Couple by Roman Shapoval has excellent overview of 5G concerns
Try to limit your usage as kids learn by example. If they see you are not using it at all, they may want to use it less
You can do Digital Detox for the whole family. What does it mean? No cell phones, no computers, no ipads, no TVs, …in other words, no electronic devices of any kind of a day, at least. Turn off the Wifi too for a day ! We did it several times with the family. Excellent results: we read more books, we talked to each other, played more, kids felt more balanced, we felt more balanced. You are welcome to go camping - but do not use your cellular devices as well there to completely disconnect from them! (borrowed this term and idea from The Power Couple by Roman Shapoval.. Honestly, their substack is fun to read and they are diving deep into all these frequencies that surround us)
Many times people say - we cannot stop spreading of cell towers, we cannot stop 5G, we cannot stop AI, we cannot stop digitalization at schools for children, etc. But why not?
If we all understand that this technology comes with so many drawbacks, it is not safe for our bodies and minds, why cannot we say NO?
We all complain about 3, 4G cell towers and small, often very well hidden 5G towers. Their proliferation is right in our faces and our living spaces. Not many people would want to live next to cell towers. In big cities they are being placed on apartment buildings, commercial buildings. here is a sad article about the state of major big cities around the world.
What if 10%, 30% or 50% of the population limit their use of smart cell phone devices and even switch to old phones with limited capabilities (or pagers:) ?
If we all pay much less for a cell phone bill. wont there be less and less money for the telecom companies to put these cell towers around us? In a way, we pay for our own demise..
Have we not lived without smart phones not too long ago and have been just fine, right?
Please, share your comments! It would be good to have a vibrant discussion about this important topic!
I gave up my smart phone about a year ago. I get few texts and even fewer calls. I often call the person who texted me back to respond so I don't have to fuss with the T9 keypad. I did get a GPS which I use in lieu of the smart phone. GPS has been the only drawback for me about ditching the smart phone; but what I found is that I actually REMEMBER where I'm going. When we use our smart phones and GPS, we're free to zone out. I could go to the same place 3 or 4 times and still be unsure of where to go without the GPS chirping when to turn. When I have to use a pen and paper I have to pay attention causing me to remember the route faster. This was a great article and I'm glad to see people switching back to flip phones. My flip phone is the "house phone" and the only time I bring it out with me is if I'm going out of town.
Good article. Clear, well written, and absolute common sense everyone should apply.