Who’s Really in Control—You or Your Phone?

So you check your phone about 144 times a day. That’s once every 10 minutes, assuming you sleep (which, let’s be honest, your phone probably keeps you from doing…).

But was it your choice? Or did your phone nudge you?

Phones started as tools. A way to call Grandma, find your way home, maybe even learn something useful. But now? They buzz, ding, and vibrate like an over-caffeinated toddler, demanding attention at all hours. Before you know it, you’re five videos deep into a bookshelf organizing show.

And yet, you swear you “don’t have time” to read a book.

Congratulations, You’re the Product

The truth is, your phone isn’t really yours. Sure, you paid for it. But it works for someone else—feeding you ads, mining your data, and making sure you never, ever run out of cat videos.

Tech companies have turned distraction into a science. Dopamine hits. Infinite scrolling. The ding that makes you feel important for 0.2 seconds. Every time you check your phone, you’re not making a choice—you’re following a script someone else wrote for you.

And the worst part? You’re not even enjoying it. Ever closed an app just to open it again three seconds later? That’s not fun. That’s muscle memory.

Reclaim Your Brain

What if you fought back? Turned off notifications. Moved distracting apps off your home screen. Put your phone in another room—like a misbehaving puppy.

Imagine what you could do with all that extra time. Read that book. Have a conversation. Stare out the window and contemplate life like people did in the olden days (aka 1995).

Your phone is a tool, not your boss. But it’s up to you to take control. Are you using your phone, or is your phone using you?

The choice is yours. Unless, of course, your phone just dinged.