social butterfly.

2.13.2012

Recently I went out to lunch with two lady friends, Kristine and Angela and among other things, we discussed what we called "the loop." It's what we do whenever we're bored or sitting idol. If you own a smart phone, you may recognize it--it goes something like this:
twitter, then instagram, then facebook. then pinterest, then blogger, then email, then twitter...

It's quite pathetic actually, but I did find some comfort in the fact that I was not alone in "the loop." I just got to wondering, what did people used to do with their "standing in line/sitting in the backseat/waiting in the doctor's office" time?
I recently heard about a study done that showed smart-phones to be more addictive than cigarettes (because you basically have constant access to it).
That hit me hard.
I don't want to be addicted to technology, but I would guess that I am. I feel like i'm in a catch 22 situation, because on one hand, i love staying social, knowing what's going on in peoples lives, being able to answer questions people are asking, providing validation, and documenting my life, but I don't want to miss out on real-life experiences because i'm tuned into my phone all the time...
Do you do "the loop"?
How do you find a balance?

28 comments

Brooke said...

I am definitely with you! I JUST got an iPhone on Friday and I can't take my eyes off of it. I mean this is like the second time I've been on the computer in 3 days. I also have my little routine I do when on my phone too. It really is addicting and I hope that I can put it away sometimes and not look at it!

Allyssa Jackson said...

So think I might be the only person I know without a smart phone and let me tell you, I'll probably never get one if I can help it cause I know I'd be addicted.

Libby Bartscht said...

i am in the loop WAY too often! facebook + instagram + the new game scramble = the end of me!

anni said...

the fact how addicted to my phone i am, is ridiculous. whether it's a 5min tram ride or queuing at the grocery store, i pretty much always have my phone in my hand, checking twitter, facebook etc. i've admitted my problem, but haven't really done anything about it...yet. i'm working on it :D

Mrs Skvortsov said...

totally guilty of doing this!! Man somtimes i actually frustrate myself like telling myself to get a grip. 

www.urbanstarlings.blogspot.com

jenni austria germany said...

yes. i'm a loopaholic.  i'd take facebook/instagram out of your loop and put in hanging with friends in both. i'm scarily addicted to that game.

iamchesapeake said...

Used to be! How I found balance: cancelled twitter and facebook and pinterest, refuse to join Google+ and whatever is next. I also sold my iPod touch because I was addicted to the games on it (just like the iPhone) and went back to my 5 year old iPod classic. Still have a smartphone (not an iPhone)but only until our contract is up. It has no games on it and 98% of the time I have no idea where it is. 

The key is replacing that "loop time" with something else. It took me awhile to become comfortable again with silence and boredom. It's nice. I stare out of the window on car rides, knit while I wait for appointments, and try to have a book with me at all times. The day after I sold my iPod touch? I read 300 pages of a book on which I had been lingering on the first chapter for 18 months.

Courtney said...

It's so hard!! I don't have an answer out of "the loop" I wish I did. I guess I could just get a regular phone. Maybe when you have a five minute waiting period you could people watch... that's pretty close to instagram and facebook right.

Mindy said...

I think those moments when nothing is happening {while waiting for something} is an ideal time to use it! It gets out of hand when it takes up the time of something better - like actually being social! I was with a group of friends last week and we were just chattering away while one gal was on FB on her phone. Really? When social media takes the place of being social, you know you have a problem! :)

Jo said...

My fiance has a smart phone and I see how addictive it is. I make due with my ghetto phone so luckily I don't have this problem. ;) I also don't tweet, have a google + account and limit myself from Pinterest for this very reason. :)

Rach said...

I go through this vicious "social networking cycle" every few months. It starts by giving myself a stern talking-to and seriously limiting everything that has to do with electronics. I hardly check my email, blog feeds, or facebook and am practically an internet recluse. Then I slowly start letting things creep back into my daily routine...until I'm doing "the loop" every few hours or so. Then we're back to another talking-to...
ANYWAY. Yesterday I gave myself the sternest talking-to to date. And I think it'll be better this time! [it really does get better with each cycle]But it's really important to have something to replace your social networking time with. Even if it's chores/errands (that's what I did this morning...it was actually fun though!) or other hobbies (I'm about to bust out my sewing machine in a few minutes) - it's important to fill your time with worthier pursuits :) and spend time developing your real life relationships too. I still give myself time to catch up on social media - I'm just careful about letting minutes turn into hours. I'm trying to not spend more than 2 hours a day on the internet or my iPhone...hopefully it works :)
Good luck!!

kylee said...

i have my morning loop. my bedtime loop. my this class is boring loop. my it's a red light loop. my just got home from school loop. my i think i'll stay in tonight loop. obviously i need to find some sort of way to curve the addiction.

Aiketa said...

Yes, I absolutely do the loop and to many times I may add. I have forbidden myself of getting into pintarest because I know I would spent to many hour there. So I just even start to avoid it. I already spent to much time on the internet to add something else to the mixt.

XOXO Lindsey said...

I sometimes give in to "the loop" but I try to stay out of it. I'm actually a giant people-watcher so sometimes when I'm on my phone I'm actually pretending to things so that girl on the train won't realize I'm drooling over her shoes. Ha. 

XOXO, Lindsey

Hailey said...

I'm addicted of course but I also like to keep a book or knitting project in my bag so I can do something useful with my hands on the commute/lunch time/any random waiting time.I like catching up on blogs and Facebook, but its not satisfying like getting a book read or progressing a knitting project.

talley said...

I don't have a smart phone, and I doubt I'll ever have one.  For one, I'm against Apple (and other big companies') manufacturing ethics.  And secondly, I don't like having that access to everything all the time.  I've seen how other people can become addicted to it and I don't want that for myself.  I don't understand why everyone has to be so entertained these days.  I wonder what it would be like for people to just do nothing and think every now and then.   Delete facebook.  Leave your phone at home.  The world is an amazing place.  Just look around or spend some time with God.  "The loop" will be there when you get back, I promise :)

Alexis said...

I think a good thing to do is to often do checks. Every once in awhile make sure you;re phone is in the other room for a few hours, leave your phone at home when you do a few hours, turn off all noise, stuff like that. It helps me feel more like I have a grasp on it. I just got a smart phone after Christmas, and it's almost scary how much time it can take up. I think making sure to do stuff like that helps me!! 

Stacey Bangerter said...

You are definitely not the only one! My loop is usually Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and then Pinterest haha. Twitter is slowly starting to become first though... What really helps me to disconnect from social media is doing a technology fast. That's going a whole week without using your cell phone, watching tv, or even listening to the radio. I've been doing it with my seminary class for four years now, and it really helps me to appreciate the time I spend with people face to face, and just to sit in silence and ponder :). You should try it!

Jennifer Thomas said...

http://bit.ly/wQneen totally guilty!

Karen said...

I don't have a smartphone. I think that helps for me. I'm online often but never when I'm anywhere else but home so that does help I guess to keep balance.

Melanie Helmstetter said...

I used to have a real problem with chatting via internet when I was a teenager (way before myspace even) I spent forever in front of my computer "talking" to people that, to this day, I have never seen. After a while it was getting a problem. When I finished school and moved to Berlin, I didn't have internet access and the city alone kept me busy. Then the problem turned over to my phone. To make a long story short. My phone got stolen and I was absolutely screwed because I lost all my contacts, numbers etc. Didn't have the money at the time to buy me a new one and after about a week...I felt so good about the whole thing. It's hard to explain...but I literally felt free...My mind got calmer and I could enjoy my little moments through out the day better.

I'm not on facebook, twitter or anything. And to tell you the truth...I always get bitched at for it. People literally get pissed off, when I tell them that I'm not on facebook....No idea what's the issue there but it just shows me that I really don't need it and that people are highly addicted to it. I have a mailing address, Email address and a phone number, if they want they can get and keep in touch with me. I really don't need to waste my time with facebook. I'd rather read a book, magazine or just sit in the sun and listen to the birds. 

When I go for a walk with my dog, I leave my phone at home, because I want peace. It has happend so often that I came home (gone max 45 minutes) and my flatmate is total raging because she called me about 1000 times...asking where something(like washpowder) is, because she can't find it. She always screams at me for not taking my phone...It's pretty pathetic if you ask me. I really believe that all this technology is making us sick. 

Irene Navajas said...

i don't basically because i don't have a smartphone and i don't want one. i had this old second-hand iphone for almost a year and it didn't have 3g but wi-fi so at home i was constantly on fb, instagram, etc. i broke the iphone almost on purpose (i know, i'm ashamed) but i'm grateful because now i see my friends who answer heir whatsapp when we are together and it's sort of insulting, an addiction; so i better stay off of it and enjoy real life even if sometimes i feel like tweeting in a queue ;)

iamchesapeake said...

like! And may I ask what brand of computer/phone you use? I struggle with the manufacturing ethics as well. My husband and I buy used and keep our electronics as long as possible, but I was wondering if you'd found a computer/phone company that had more acceptable practices?

angela hardison said...

the other day i left my phone at my sister's house late at night. even though i was going to see her the next day around lunchtime i drove ALL the way back to get it... i could never be without it for 12 hours. hahaha.

Mandy said...

I don't even own a cell phone (by choice) so I don't do the loop on a cell phone, but I do do the loop at home. I just heard last week that missionaries are having a hard time with conversing with people because all they know is texting. I think when texting/doing the loop becomes a problem in that you don't even know how to carry on a conversation with a real person or checking social media things interferes with spending real time with a person, that IS a problem. A person doesn't text God to talk to him and He doesn't have a blog so why do some people insist on having friendships/relationships in that form? It doesn't take much more time to call a person up and talk to them than it does to text them. If you're going to take your phone with you, use it for important reasons only. I, personaly, think it's rude when I'm with a friend and they are texting or checking social media things because I feel like our time together isn't valuable when they do that. I want to have real relationships with real people, not electronic devices. To find a balance, you have to decide what's most important. If a person values real people and the relationships they have with them, they will make that a priority. You don't have to stay constantly connected to social media to stay social. Give yourself a test run and try it for a week and see if it really makes that much of a difference. I don't know you personally but you seem like a very social person naturally and I think you would have no problem staying social naturally without being conected all the time. There is good and bad in all situation and if you feel like you're becoming addicted, maybe it's time to try giving it a break. I hope my comment wasn't too harsh. I do think it can be really hard to find a balance in anything with life...being a mom and working, being a wife, a friend, a daughter...etc. I recently read this article that I think you would find interesting to read. I'm going to find it and e-mail it to you. Good luck! I hope you have a great day.   

Mandy said...

Here's the blog article: http://a-mama-drama.blogspot.com/ I thought it was really interesting.

Emily baker said...

yes, i have an iPhone. but I am absolutely not addicted. I may tweet once a day if that sometimes. I rarely check my facebook. I love instagram, but I check it maybe once a day. I used to be ADDICTED to facebook when I was younger, but I deleted it for about a year. since it was out of my daily schedule, it wasn't hard to have a facebook account and not be creeping on ppl all the time.

brittany said...

oh my gosh. i don't even want to admit it, but i do, i get stuck in the loop! sometimes i notice i'm doing it because i literally get dizzy and i have to put my phone far away from me as fast as possible. it is quite a loopy loop!

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