On the way home from a conference, I sat in the airport thinking about all the conversations I’d just had with friends and colleagues. One topic kept surfacing: our reliance—maybe even our addiction—to the smartphone.
It’s our tool, our connection, our crutch. Some say it’s practically become part of our body and soul. We laughed about the idea of a “Zero Smartphone Day”—a modern version of Sunday rest. Could you go one full day without checking your phone?
As I looked around the gate area, 95% of travelers were scrolling. Families together, yet apart. Professionals, sharply dressed, pounding through emails and messages to stay on top of work. Others, headphones on, lost in games or streaming shows. Everyone staring at glass.
It made me wonder: what did we do for entertainment 50 years ago? We read. We talked. We thought. We noticed the world around us. Today, we scroll and refresh, hunting for the next “fix” of distraction.
I’m not an expert on digital behavior. I only know how it affects me—and how I’ve had to learn to temper it. When I set the phone down, I open space to think more deeply, connect with others more intentionally, and challenge my mind in new ways.
Here’s a question for you: do you remember what you saw on your phone yesterday that made you laugh, smile, or pause? Or has it already slipped away, replaced by today’s endless scroll?
Maybe it’s time to take that digital detox. Not forever, but for long enough to remind ourselves what we might be missing.