we've evolved and technology is everywhere in our lives. whenever I watch a something from 80 years ago, I realize how many voids we occupy. television, computer, ipad, cell phone. we occupy our time with thousands of digital instruments that we dont need and miss the silence. curiously, I never valued silence more than now, when I was invaded by stimuli and needed to stop and get away from technology for a while.
strangely, the way I got away from technology, so dependent was I on it, was by acquiring more technology. I admit that I suffer from notification phobia. I worry that something is happening and I don't know about it. this is my biggest fear, which brings me closer to my cell phone. but then, obviously, the phone doesn't have anything relevant to tell me. what I do get into is a loop of going in and out of messages, email, whats app, back to messages, back to email, back to instagram, checking CINCO's instagram, telegram, news. it's super tiring and it's been an hour. my day and my intellect are the same. and I get frustrated. as I'm frustrated I go to google and search "how many hours should I search the internet?", then I go to my email inbox, instagram, email again, whats app, send a message, and nothing, we continue in a void of nothing. this loop is really obsessive and it tires me out. a frenzy that almost always results in nothing, always available for nothing.
aware of this obsessive cycle, but also aware that I'm not yet ready to live without knowing what's going on, I've decided to take some measures to reduce the time I give to the online world. here they are and I hope they help you if you feel the same way:
— I’ve kept my cell phone away from me for as many hours as possible. so I leave it behind as soon as I get home and try not to take it on many outings, especially out for dinner or to the park;
— I bought an apple watch with 3g where I activated the notifications of the most important apps, so that if something really important is happening I'll know about it (I'll deal with FOMO in a later editorial);
— I decided to start reading three books, one on poetry, one on fiction and one on marketing. trying to see which one appealed to me the most meant that I didn't give up at the first attempt. not to mention the fact that I've cut down on my cell phone and the excuse that I don't have time to read is over.
I don't know if this will work, but I think it could be a good way to be less of a cell phone person. I confess it's an image of myself that I don't like very much.
li furtado is the founder and creative director of CINCO. born in '82 in alentejo, portugal she graduated in geography from the university of coimbra. after working for 10 years as a consultant, she quit her job to follow her dream and love for fashion. with a creative and restless mind, she is driven by new ideas and her focus is to always have time to enjoy life with her family.
