Smartphones – Your Personal Enemy

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Constantly and everywhere connected. The nightmare vision of the Matrix, or worse, Big Brother 1984, has become reality.

Every tech store sells them, everyone loves them, and every pocket carries one… the digital nomad! It all sounds tragic and it's not just an impression – it's a fact. Smartphones have conquered the world, a bitter truth we humans must face. Nothing works without them… online banking, digital IDs, vaccination certificates, job applications, personal files. Lose your phone, and you literally lose your entire existence or, as many people around here like to say: "Your whole life is on there now" and that's true.

If we're talking about this, let's also talk about generations. I see myself undeniably as a millennial. Thrown from the late 90s into the 21st century, back when Windows XP still ruled my life. Ah, the good old days! Back then, we still drew and painted on paper – yes, paper! And believe it or not, wrote letters with a return address. That disappeared in the age of WhatsApp, Telegram and co. Writing letters or drawing become rare. Anything "official" still preserves the character of a time completely foreign to us, when such things were ordinary.

Even these brief glimpses show just how rapidly the world has changed. Fellows will understand! We come from a transitional phase: the old 90s gave way to the 2000s, later replaced by the tech wave. Over my twenties, I've seen it all, or as they say in Italian, "Ho visto dei tutti colori." (Just a side note…) But yes, we can't escape it, whether we like it or not.

So, what about me? 

I want to share some personal impressions on the topic. As mentioned above, I have a clear opinion on the prevailing "smartphone reign." I am not a big fan and see little value in storing your entire life on a small screen. Sure, you can and should carry confidential data digitally if needed, but that doesn't mean storing absolutely everything and I mean everything – on this device. That, to me, crosses the line into excess.

Back in 2015, at the tender age of 16, I made that decision. All my schoolmates had smartphones. Now you may ask: "Were you not allowed to have one?" No, I simply didn't want one. Of course, a year later I got my first official phone, a Samsung Galaxy S5 – my god, that feels like forever ago. I was almost 18. I used it to take photos. Even then, that constant back-and-forth, the urge to connect with everyone and everything… I still don't get it.

I walk through the city center and watch people. They are no longer in this world, but somewhere else. An older man, I estimate about 51, is watching TikTok or Instagram Reels of scantily dressed dancers… What can I even say? Here come the people who will argue, "Oh, your damn prejudices again." Don't get me wrong! Everyone should be free to explore their interests as much as they want. But watching these developments unfold… it tears at me internally. I don't see the point of chasing false beauty ideals or being blinded by perfection. Too many people only watch what social media does, while completely neglecting "themselves" instead of doing something good for themselves,

Humanity has lost itself in the digital jungle and this is a long-term development that cannot simply be sugar-coated. I see this critically because psychological aspects come into play. Humans like to interact; it's no coincidence we are called "social beings." But social media does the exact opposite. People isolate themselves, lose verbal skills, forget natural and common behavioral patterns and reduce communication to quick, superficial exchanges across multiple channels. The relationship between sender and receiver, known from linguistic models, is completely disrupted. And that's where my criticism lies. Everything has its pros and cons.

A rethink is necessary! I believe people should consider stepping back from social media and try to engage personally, instead. If we want change, it starts with a widespread new awareness. And I think policymakers, who are partly responsible, should take action. Technologies available to the public should be limited to a healthy extent. 

What's your perspective on this?