A fried brain? The quiet rebellion against our magic mirrors

Well, there’s no escaping it anymore… let’s talk about social media for a second.

Social media seems to have taken over our lives just a little too much. We spend an average of 2.5 hours a day on our phones. I know, nothing new — but shouldn’t that number make us sink a little deeper into our chairs?

Some people weigh that more heavily than others. Personally, I’ve found it deeply frustrating for years. The idea that a significant part of our lives dissolves into the digital ether feels completely out of line with what I call a fulfilling existence.

“Ugh, if only there were more hours in a day.”

Yeah, hold on a second.

If you take away just 1.5 of those 2.5 hours of daily screen time from the age of 25 and you live until 85, you get back a staggering 32,850 hours of your life.

That’s nearly four years of waking life — time you could spend actually living.

The Impact of Our Magic Mirrors

Dramatic? Sure. But maybe that’s necessary.

Thank God for Tikkies, online banking, and even astrology apps that make life a bit easier. Still, let’s not forget: less than twenty years ago, people found smartphones odd and impractical. Being always reachable? Irritating!

Their lives weren’t stress-free back then either, but it seems today’s constant flood of digital stimuli has awakened a new kind of exhaustion in us.

And yet, I think the convenience of modern life isn’t always serving us. I see it in myself. ChatGPT and other smart tools have made my chaotic, ambitious life more manageable in many ways. But honestly? My brain sometimes gets too comfortable — sitting back while real mental effort quietly fades away.

And growth demands effort.

The Analog Counter-Movement

So, what’s the alternative? For some, it’s an emerging trend — maybe you’ve already heard of the so-called dumbphones.

I’ve tried it myself, though I gave up when WhatsApp didn’t work on the system. Still, I understand the pull of a more analog life. Philosopher Hans Schnitzler once described it beautifully as “walking around in a purely analog world.”

Living and wondering the way you did as a child. Back when it didn’t matter whether your best friend got more likes than you did.

Isn’t our phone addiction, when you really think about it, a bit… silly? Aren’t we getting a bit silly?

Personally, I notice that my occasional social media breaks do me good. Once I go offline, I don’t miss it. No endless scrolling, no FOMO, no pointless distraction.

It’s refreshing to realize how little social media actually adds to my happiness or quality of life. I feel calmer, less pressured by impossible ideals, and more focused on what truly matters.

Finding Balance

Still, I live a double life. Working in the online world means I can’t go fully analog. So balance becomes the key.

By consciously spending time offline, I stay connected to myself and what genuinely inspires me. It’s about using technology as a tool — not letting it use me.

A while ago, my best friend asked why I was so obsessed with getting a flip phone, and what it would really change. I texted her this:

“I still use an iPhone. The point isn’t to throw all my electronics out the window in a dramatic attempt to ‘live offline’. It’s about the choice — the conscious decision to let that screen stay black once in a while. The ability to remain in charge, instead of being led by constant notifications and noise. I can choose when to be present. I can choose to put the phone down.”

You probably get what I mean. Or maybe you don’t — and that’s fine too.

Modern technology brings incredible opportunities and solutions, and I’m not denying that. In fact, I use tools like ChatGPT regularly. Why wouldn’t I? It’s not technology itself that’s the problem — it’s the space we allow it to take up in our lives.

The Point of It All

So I keep returning to the same conclusion (as with most things in life): it’s about balance.

Our screens don’t give our lives meaning — what we do when we look away from them does.

A good, grounded day filled with purpose will always lead to a meaningful life. Let’s start by prioritizing the relationships that truly matter — the ones with real people — over the ones with our devices.

They’re just not that important.

And perhaps, if we learn to fully embrace AI, not as a distraction but as a quiet ally, it can actually bring us closer to our humanity — helping us automate the noise, so we can make more room for silence, for art, for nature, and for one another.

-Nina