In the absence of phone during family time

Greetings!

During my early days, phones were not as common as they are now. They were mostly owned by adults – fathers, mothers, aunts, and uncles. People below the age of 20 were rarely seen with phones, except for those who were really wealthy. I vividly remember the moment when my dad received his first phone, which was bought and gifted to him by one of his uncles (may he rest in peace). During that time, he cherished the phone, kept it close, and made sure we kids stayed away from it because we were addicted to the games on it. Sometimes, we even skipped meals just to play with the phone.

As we grew a little older and got our first phones (Java phones), the addiction intensified because of the fun games they offered. One thing my dad despised was using the phone while eating. He detested it so much that he smashed my brother's phone during a meal. I can't forget that day easily – my brother cried bitterly, but neither my mom nor dad showed any sympathy. They believed he deserved it because warnings had been given to all of us, and we had always obeyed them until my brother, for some reason, decided to ignore them and bring his phone to the dining table.

Why did my dad hate it so much? As far as I know, it wasn't just about fostering family bonding; he simply disliked seeing us spend excessive time on our phones, especially during meals. Bringing the phone to the dining table was particularly unacceptable to him because he believed it would make us eat our food very slowly, which, according to him, was not acceptable for boys, who are known to be quick at everything they do.

Despite all this, phones, with their captivating allure, have managed to erode the bonds between people. Nowadays, when people have their phones with them, they often neglect the need for physical interaction with others. I'm guilty of this too, and while I acknowledge its negative aspects, I often find it hard to see them because...(continue reading).

In situations where family attention is required, I believe it's crucial to put away phones and engage with one another on a personal level. My dad never liked the idea of using phones while eating, but not because he wanted us to mingle more; he just wanted us to eat faster. I would adopt his approach for the sake of relationships and socializing.

However, a complete ban wouldn't be wise either, as phones are essential for capturing precious moments. Like me, whenever I visit home, I ensure I capture everything and everyone in different scenes because I don't get to visit home often.

As I always tell people, there are numerous ways to earn a living online, and completely shunning phone usage during family time may not be practical.

Okay, it's fine during dining and crucial family meetings. Extending a ban aside these is not so a nice idea.

Thanks for reading.

| All images are mine|