Did you know that 30% of Americans would rather pass up a job promotion than lose their phone?
Or that the average person spends more than five hours a day staring at their phone’s screen?
President and CEO of UScellular Laurent Therivel was a guest on the WCUB Breakfast Club recently and says that as we’ve become more connected to our smartphones, we may be becoming LESS connected to each other.
As a result, UScellular has launched the “Phones Down for Five” challenge and “us mode”, both of which are designed to reset our relationship to technology.
The idea of “Phones Down for Five” is to put your phone down for 5 minutes, five hours, or even five days, so you will find yourself more present and in-the-moment while with friends and loved ones.
Therivel also described “us mode”.
“It might mute social media. It might mute texts from people you don’t want to be getting texts from, but at the same time maybe it still gives you access to music or access to recipes that you cook with your loved ones,” he explained. “The idea is how do we help the phone enhance your relationships rather than distract from them.”
Therivel also offers three pieces of advice for those looking to become reconnected with what’s around them in the moment, put the phone someplace where it is out of reach for a while, go do something outside away from the phone, and do something with someone you love, minus your phones.
More information is available online at uscellular.com/findus.
