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Gen Y Speaks: I am a millennial trying not to be glued to my mobile phone. How about you?

It is obvious that Singaporeans — especially millennials — are glued to our mobile phones. We see these digital zombies everywhere every day, perhaps most so on public transport. So what, you may ask.

The author (pictured) says one can listen to audiobooks or podcasts while commuting instead of checking their social media or watching videos.

The author (pictured) says one can listen to audiobooks or podcasts while commuting instead of checking their social media or watching videos.

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It is obvious that Singaporeans — especially millennials — are glued to our mobile phones. We see these digital zombies everywhere every day, perhaps most so on public transport. So what, you may ask.

Well, have you seen how foolish some of you look smiling to yourself while staring at your phones? And have you thought about whether you are addicted to your phones at the expense of your relationships with your loved ones?

When Indie singer, Luke Sital Singh wrote his 2014 hit song, Bottled Up Tight with the stanza “maybe it’s true we’re part of a bloodline, but we walk like we’re pretty much blind”, perhaps he was really referring to us as a generation.

Admit it, our attachment to these devices has reached a point where it feels uncomfortable not to be looking at them all the time, especially in this age where we want to document or ‘instastory’ everything.

Even when we are not using our phone, it is on “standby” in our hands, as we linger for the itch to use it again. Perhaps this partly stems from not knowing where to “put our eyes” during that peak-hour commute on the train.

Using our phones somehow creates an invisible bubble around us, protecting us from awkward eye contact with strangers.

I find it especially sad to see couples on the train looking at their phones instead of talking to each other.

I once encountered a grandfather, his wife and two grandchildren in a stroller on the train, all looking at their own phones. If not for the fact it was a crowded train, I would have snapped a photo.

While I’m all for reading and filling up travel time with some form of meaningful activity, our phones ultimately do not contribute to bettering our health. This is especially when most jobs also require us to look at computer screens for long hours each day.

A friend of mine shared that when he visited London, he noticed that people often read on the Tube (the British MRT), whether it is the newspapers or books.

In my own experience living in Ukraine for almost a year as a missionary, I found that not as many people were fixated on their phones on the metro as compared to Singapore.

Granted, many people there still do not own smart phones and the phone reception underground was bad. This June, I was on holiday in Melbourne and riding on the trams, I noticed how the Australians  generally chat with their travelling companions instead of looking at their phones.

So how should you pass your time while commuting on public transport then?

Listen to audiobooks or podcasts instead. There are many benefits of audio books, such as improving memory and attention span or helping us with time management. Daniel Willingham, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, states that when it comes to reading or listening for leisure, there is little difference between printed text or audiobooks.

I’ve been intentionally making it a point to listen to a Soundcloud channel called Ancient History Encyclopedia, which has different recordings on historical topics. I think people in general are not very good listeners, and this would be a good way to hone and sharpen one of our other senses we don’t use enough. You could try websites like Audible for a wide selection of audiobooks for a start.

I recently read that Singaporeans rarely take the time to reflect, and I believe the writer correctly observed that this is due to our busy and materialistic lifestyles.

Do we really have to be entertained every spare moment we have? We could make it a point to reflect and do a stocktake of our lives while commuting. Think about how our day has gone, the conversations we have had, or past pleasant experiences and memories. A short pause could be beneficial to us.

Singapore is also known to be one of the most sleep-deprived countries. According to a Philips sleep study published in March this year, seven in 10 Singaporeans say they sleep “somewhat well” or “not well at all”.

Thirty per cent attributed this to being distracted by entertainment like the television or social media. In a nation full of night owls, we could capitalise on our commute time for short power naps instead of being on our phones.

This issue’s prevalence is, of course, not limited to public transport. People can be seen at traffic lights, crossing the overhead bridge or in any pocket of waiting time fixated on their mobile phone screens.

On one occasion when a friend and I were blocked multiple times by people walking and looking at their phones, she joked that perhaps we should have a lane dedicated to such people. Something similar to bike lanes in Australia or some European countries.

I understand that for many commuters, their travelling time could be the only window of time to “catch up” with certain shows, or to unwind and play games after a stressful day of work.

However there is a fine line between keeping ourselves occupied and being addicted to our phones.

We should be more mindful of when we actually need to use our phones. Certainly you don’t need to check them every other minute. 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lemuel Sim, 26, is an executive in a corporate services firm.  

Related topics

phone social media digital detox addiction millennials

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