Brendan Kane on how phones become fake companions during lonely meals. He describes the cycle of scrolling while food cools, laughing at videos alone, then putting the phone down only to pick it back up. His fix: send an honest text to someone you miss, and eat one meal without your phone.
Lonely means eating dinner with your phone in your hand. Your food gets cold while you scroll. You laugh at videos by yourself because there's no one to share them with. You put your phone down when you're done, but immediately you pick up again. Your phone gives you just enough company to distract you from your loneliness, but the loneliness never goes away. Try this for me. Send one honest text to somebody, I miss you, wanna talk? And then go eat one meal by yourself without your phone. Learn to enjoy your own company, and when you do use your phone, use it to connect with people, not to avoid them.
