On Świdnicka Street in Wrocław, we organized an event today under the slogan "Head Up Today." The initiative, linked to World No Mobile Phone Day on July 15th, aims to encourage everyone to reflect on the amount of time spent in front of smartphone screens, the lack of real human contact, and our safety on the road. Two lanes were designated for pedestrians – one for people strolling the promenade with their gaze fixed on their smartphones, and the other for those who keep their phones tucked away in their pockets.
The increasingly noticeable and widespread misuse of phones in society is impacting our personalities and interpersonal relationships.
– The influence of new technologies on interpersonal relationships is more complex than previously thought, but unfortunately, it's negative. Years ago, it was believed that introverts "lived" online, replacing real-life relationships with virtual ones. However, studies have shown something quite different: the more real relationships people have, the more virtual ones they also have. On the other hand, everyone (both introverts and extroverts) has fewer relationships with others in the real world – says Prof. Dariusz Doliński, Head of the Department of Social Psychology at SWPS University in Wrocław.
World No Mobile Phone Day, celebrated on July 15th, is an exceptionally difficult holiday for all those who are endlessly engrossed in their smartphones. After all, scrolling through Facebook news feeds, exchanging messages on Messenger, or snapping cannot be delayed. What happens on our phones is most important. Exactly now, and not a minute later. So, what should we do when on July 15th, we suddenly receive an official invitation to put our phones aside for a moment? Simply do it during the event in Wrocław.
Wrocław, as a city of encounters that has always championed the collision of different cultures, the exchange of ideas, mutual interaction, and action, and finally, the simple promotion of kindness, is the ideal place to initiate a discussion about the form and condition of contemporary interpersonal relationships. A smartphone is a device that allows us fast, convenient, and unrestricted contact with others, unbound by location or time. On the other hand, it makes our relationships impersonal, distant, and incomplete. We don't see the other person. And by staring at the screen, we will never truly see them. Therefore, it's worth nurturing our relationships with others. It's worth being open to the person passing by us. It's worth smiling and being kind. All it takes is to consciously look away from your phone for a moment and look around. You can start today – on World No Mobile Phone Day, on Świdnicka Street in Wrocław.
The action involves designating two lanes on a section of Świdnicka Street in Wrocław (from Przejście Świdnickie towards the Market Square) – for pedestrians who traverse the promenade engrossed in their smartphones, and for those who keep their phones in their pockets. Furthermore, Vikings present during the event encourage choosing the "No Smartphone" path and explain why it's worth looking "Up Today." For the unyielding, they help them safely navigate the designated section. Because a gaze fixed on a phone is also an increasingly common cause of many road collisions and accidents. Video footage will be recorded during the event. It will be shared on our social media.
– We are a virtual mobile operator. We operate primarily online – that's our natural environment. And just as our community feels comfortable there, we appreciate the possibilities that a smartphone, combined with internet access, provides us. But even we occasionally need to spend some time in the real world, to meet another person face-to-face. Through our initiative, we want to encourage everyone to briefly reflect on the amount of time we spend with our eyes fixed on our phones, thereby losing the chance for direct contact, even with someone we meet in a cafe or during a walk. We are a responsible mobile operator; we care about our users and want them to use the services we provide consciously and thoughtfully – says Bartek Grabowski, Head of New Business at Mobile Vikings Poland.
Through this initiative and the symbol of designated lanes for those using smartphones while walking and those who don't, we want to draw attention to the fact that even a device so valuable to us in everyday life is worth using with caution and moderation.
