When was the last time you sat quietly for ten minutes without touching your cellphone—not because the battery died or there was no signal, but because you consciously chose not to? For many of us, even remembering such a moment is difficult. Today, our phones are often the first things we see in the morning. Before greeting our families or enjoying a moment of silence, we check notifications, messages, news and social media. Waiting in a queue, travelling by bus or feeling bored, stressed or sad, we instinctively reach for the screen. There was a time when waiting and silence were natural parts of life. We waited for friends, letters and buses, often accompanied only by our thoughts. Now, every idle moment is filled with digital stimulation. Our phones provide endless short videos, images, alerts and updates designed to capture our attention. Constant stimulation can leave our minds exhausted, even when we believe we are relaxing. Perhaps we should ask ourselves: Are we using our phones because we need them, or because we have forgotten how to be comfortable with ourselves?
DIOMEDES PEREIRA, Corlim
