Downgrading is Tough

     Downgrading is tough.
     A few weeks ago,  I traded in my cracked iPhone 4 for a $30 "dumb phone." All I can do now is text and talk. No more Facebook status updates at the grocery store. No more listening to ball games on the radio with my MLB app. No more Mapquest when I drive. No more Meet Mobile at my kids' swim meets (my favorite app).
     Technically, I can still check Facebook or Twitter on my dumb phone if I desire, but the graphics look like something out of an Atari 2600 video game.
    I'm telling you, it hasn't been easy, but I slowly feel like I am reaching a new normal. I don't know how long I will last, but I am looking to reap some spiritual benefits along the way.
    Technological downgrading (for whatever reason we do it) can be a blessing. We are tethered today to wireless stuff. Every free moment of the day, our eyes are glued --  our lives transfixed -- by digital data, most of it of no use for everyday life (except of course, the MLB app).
     So how can I make better use of those mindless, 30-second intervals, when I would typically click on Instagram?
     One possibility is silence. Instead of checking to see how many people "like" my latest quip on Twitter, maybe I allow my mind to have a few moments to reflect upon the day, or even lift a prayer or praise.
     Another possibility is communication. Instead of sitting beside someone with my eyes fixed on my touchpad, maybe I look my children, wife, or friend directly in the eyes as I speak with them.
     A final scenario is that I stop (perhaps for a just a few moments) the constant stream of social media advertisements.
     Downgrading is tough, but I have high hopes for the spiritual blessings that may come my way, at least until I am ready for a new upgrade.