Fasting from your phone
The wizened, mature retreat Conductor grinned and with a mischievous twinkle in his eye suggested that we fast from our phones during retreat. Whether many did or not I will never know. From my perspective, I found it an interesting exercise. I only glimpsed at the screen on my phone to change the alarm so that I could awaken in time for the next dress - meal - set of prayers.
It worked well for me because I was on retreat. It would not work so well if I was back in the parish where I rely on it a bit more strenuously and frequently. I found it a liberating adventure, but a few questions came bubbling to the surface while ‘fasting from my phone’.
- Question One. On what day in recent history did we become so reliant on this gadget? I guess that as the phone was able to do more and more things we became incrementally just a little more addicted. Just a little more reliant. I remember speaking in another forum and saying ‘Our world is our phone is our world. Yes, it was a gradual transition but as far as the pace of history goes it happened rather quickly. Say the last couple of decades?
- QuestionTwo. Where would we be looking if we were successful in this venture? Ie If we weren’t looking at our screens so much, what would we be gazing at with all this spare time?
- Question Three. What would happen if we all had the occasional fast from our phones? I’m not advocating switching them off altogether, nor having them out of reach, just in case however maybe only looking at them between 4 - 5 pm each day. Could we do it? Could you do it? Could I do it?