Breaking Phone Addiction: Embrace Solitude and Reading

Today, when I was coming from the metro, I observed that most people were busy with their phones. In today’s time, phones have hypnotized us. I believe that 95% of the time, we use phones unnecessarily.

Why do we use phones so much? The biggest reason for this is feeling lonely. When we feel lonely or don’t enjoy being with ourselves, we turn to our phones for comfort. We have forgotten how to embrace solitude. Today, we don’t take the time to talk to ourselves.

If we think about it carefully, the phone has become a drug, giving us a cheap intoxication that helps us escape the real world and the world within ourselves, plunging us into an artificial one.

How to Regain Our Independence?

Like a diamond cuts another diamond, addiction can be overcome by a counteractive addiction. In my opinion, a negative addiction can only be cured by replacing it with a positive one. We use phones because they give us temporary pleasure. In psychology, this is referred to as a dopamine release. To break free, we need to find something that provides the same or even greater pleasure, but in a constructive way.

There are two activities, in my opinion, that can lead us to a more permanent and elevated state of happiness:

1. Meditation When we observe our thoughts without judgment, we uncover our inherent peace of mind and true happiness. This is why, in ancient times, people devoted themselves to meditation — they understood that real happiness comes from within, not from the outside world.

2.Reading Ernest Hemingway once said, “There is no loyal friend as loyal as a book.” In today’s digital world, people have distanced themselves from reading, and as a result, virtues like patience, silence, concentration, and peacefulness have distant from us. I have learned every thing from books, and I love them not just for their teachings but for the immense joy they bring.

The beauty of books lies in their abundance — you’ll never run out of choices or feel bored. There is always something new to explore. My advice to the younger generation is to set aside their phones and start reading. You’ll be amazed to discover that heaven truly lies within books.

We should dedicate at least 2–3 hours a day to reading on a variety of topics, not just academics. Personally, I prefer reading stories by authors like Leo Tolstoy, O. Henry, and Sudha Murthy, as well as self-help books like Think and Grow Rich, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Kaizen.

These stories and books not only enhance your personality but also provide you with invaluable knowledge that others have gained through a lifetime of effort. Once you start reading, qualities like honesty, calmness, and concentration naturally become a part of your personality. Gradually, your urge to use phones diminishes because you begin to experience the joy of a higher and more fulfilling pleasure.