Nomophobia? Let Go, Look Up, Let God

Nomophobia. It's short for "No mobile phone phobia." It's become such a problem that now there's a term for it. It's the new term being used to describe our growing irrational fear of not being able to use or not having our mobile devices.

When St. Ignatius Loyola was in the hospital recovering from battle wounds and looking for diversions, he had that opportunity to read and really immerse himself in the stories of St. Francis and St. Dominic. Upon reading and reflecting, he said to himself, “St. Dominic did this, therefore I must do it. St. Francis did this, therefore I must do it.” He got so immersed and inspired that he decided to imitate them, and the rest was history — and we are definitely blessed to have the Jesuits around.

I have to admit that when I’ve had to wait in a hospital, I find it easier and more diverting to check social media. Smartphones make it easy to get sucked in, and the struggle to put the phone down is real. Still, I think we’re better off missing out on what our friends are making for dinner, rather than on the opportunity to dive deep into, say, the conversion stories of St. Augustine or St. Ignatius.

We're rewiring our lives and probably our brains in ways that make us so dependent on our mobile phones and losing our ability to just sit, think, absorb, process and deeply examine things. Those moments of silence, reflection, discernment and listening to God’s voice are becoming a thing of the past.

Social connectivity can be good and useful, but the deep connections we make when we are more mindful and more present in the moment bring more positivity into our lives. We need to look up more and just enjoy the moment, each other's company, and the blessings all around us.