Phone addiction issue in Australia

“Honey, just get off the phone and watch! Look around, stop scrolling through meaningless content on your phone and observe the scenery, talk to me!”. Does it sound familiar? Well, how about pressing the button – “Restart your day” with a new short movie by ZevHowley, describing so precisely what we are missing out on when dealing with smartphone addiction.

Phone addiction issue described in “Restart” by Zev Howley

To be fair, 2020-2021 showed us how much we could achieve with our personal devices – a magic tool that turns “the pumpkin into a carriage”, it brings relief when promptly reaching out to a friend and, when bank transfers are just one click away. We need to understand technology to succeed and become Leaders – no doubt people are conditioned now to carry smartphones in our bags. Yet. While our technology-driven society continues exploring innovation leading to freedom in some sort, we quickly developed a habit, that strong need to keep the phone within reach, just like a little helper, a puppy you play with and cherish. It sounds exciting, yet a bit of a worry. Let’s look at some facts.

    Phone addiction issue Australia

Phone addiction’s facts:

“We’re spending almost 17 years of our lives on our phone’s” (Reviewes.Org, 2021). Not even mentioning research saying that society is on its way to own a “text neck”. (Today, 2021). According to Stefano Sinicrop (April 24, 2021), “Cell phones might contribute to the reversal of the natural curve of our cervical spine”. It’s not surprising since “The typical cell phone user touches his or her phone 2,617 time every day” (Business Insider, July 14, 2016). The point is that we are addicted to our phones and it’s a threat to our mental and physical health. 

Actually, the COVID situation with multiple outbreaks and lockdowns didn’t help us, humans, to encourage real face-to-face interaction. Social media contributed significantly to the phone addiction issue – we love new posts on Instagram and Facebook- it could be something colourful and vivid! However, we stopped paying attention to our kids when a new social media post comes up! The question arises: Was it that important? 

Was it that important to check on your phone?

Restart by Zev Howley

Today, Zev Howley, a Melbourne based filmmaker, recently presented his new short story “Restart” in the Sun Theatre. His new movie showcased in 4 minutes the story about the phone addiction issue and what we are missing, what we limiting ourselves with and what alternatively can occur to us if we don’t change. Zev came up with an artistic fictional based script that will take you on a journey and highlights the key points of FOMO (fear of missing out), separation, loneliness and tragedy. Some of us might recognise ourselves in the movie and make a personal conclusion in the end. The story of a younger female, Samantha, in Melbourne walking down the street and diving into her “phone” world inspired a deeper understanding of phone addiction and how it can affect us long-term. The character doesn’t see the beauty and misses the opportunities that surround her. A mysterious stranger gives her a chance at a new life. This film shows what the world would look like if choosing less zombified tools-phones.

Zev’s creation is available on YouTube.

Watch the video here:

Phone addiction issue Australia, movie “Restart”

How to break phone addiction habit?

1. Set up a goal to take short breaks from technology daily. Forget about the phone at least for few hours a day if it’s possible.
2. Go for a walk or exercise and leave the phone at home.
3. Make yourself available for family and friends-ensure you have a meal with no phone on the table.
4. Choose a day within a week when you would have a “phone & social media detox”.
5. Enjoy social media posts but set up a time limit on daily usage – answer to all comments questions and engage with key individuals, then leave it at that till next day.
6. Try to use the phone when you truly need to rather than scrolling through for no reason.
7. Look up when walking down the streets – you can see nice clouds, flowers or even a Sale. By looking down especially when crossing the road, it’s not always safe. 

We, humans, are in love with our new Smartphone. It’s like virtual reality- choose your favourite tone and emerge yourself into the world of virtual communication. Nothing is wrong with technology-driven peers and an ability to run online events, support your beloved ones and being able to reach out when physical presence is impossible. Just remember to look up and breathe.

Turn off the Power Button and Restart!

Zev Howley profile in Aussie Directory:

Looking-for-an-experienced-video-content-creator-in-melbourne (ubizblog.com)