We love technology and all the amazing things our devices allow us to do. But at the same time, tech has accelerated our lives beyond our capacity to keep up. We feel it, and it’s only getting worse.
According to a study by research firm Dscout, the top 10 percent of smartphone users touch their phones an average of 5,427 times each day. The rest of us are clocking in at 2,617 times per day, and over 70 percent of Americans sleep next to or with their phone. Most of us even have little resting places and refueling shrines in our houses — like little doll beds — where our technology can recharge, even if we can’t.
Thrive Global is all about how to boost your performance by prioritizing your well-being. We can’t talk about our well-being without talking about our relationship with technology. It’s a challenge POPSUGAR founder and President Lisa Sugar knows well. “We must become more aware of when we are tuning out and into phone zone. Our partners, kids, and coworkers notice. It’s up to each of us to find the right balance for our lives, and it’s not as simple as putting down or even shutting off your phone.”
The good news is that the past year has been a great awakening, which you can read about here, as more and more people are realizing that they need to take control of that relationship. That’s why at Thrive Global we built The Thrive App, which helps you take control of your relationship with technology by giving you the tools to take a break from your phone and set goals and limits for specific apps.
The big tech companies are entering the conversation as well. In “Apple Goes From Think Different to Live Different,” you can read about why the tools Apple recently introduced to help users set boundaries with technology are so important.
In “We’re Drowning in Data but Starved For Wisdom,” you can read about why the oncoming age of AI should be forcing us to have a conversation about what parts of our humanity we want to protect.
Like any relationship, our relationship with our technology needs constant care and attention. A great start is to sign up for the Thrive newsletter, which has the latest news, studies, and tips on how to manage your own relationship with tech.