Retail Observer

IFA in Berlin the world's leading retail show for consumer electronics and home appliances. O cial partner of: THE FUTURE since 1924 ifa-berlin.com The global innovations show. IFA-Contact: Messe Berlin North America Tel. +1.540 372-3777 · berlin@exhibitpro.com is some social utility to it but like we saw during the Boston Marathon Bomber Manhunt it quickly turns into a lot of people feeling involved when they're really contributing more noise than signal. Facebook and Twitter won't be evaluating your performance at year's end and probably can't qualify you for a pay raise either. • Turn Off the Lights and Your Phone. More and more of us are using our smartphones as watches and alarm clocks, keeping it plugged in to recharge on the bedside overnight. So long as your phone is plugged in, so are you. Take a break from your phone. If it's by the bed you'll get those late night calls, tweets and texts that interfere with precious sleep. Plus, the easier you can reach your phone the more likely it becomes that you'll check email in the middle of the night and find something that will really disturb your sleep. Can you really get the REM cycles your body requires if you're still connected? Unless there's a likelihood of an emergency, we have three rules in our house that we absolutely follow – the first is no smartphones in the bedroom. If someone dies overnight they'll be just as dead in the morning and we'll be rested and ready to deal with it. • Crunch Kale Instead of Candy. Games are fun but they have their place and that's not at the breakfast, lunch or dinner table. Words with Friends can wait until you've had words and meals with family. Our second rule bans smartphones from the table whether we're at home or in a restaurant with friends. Checking your texts and email during a meal is the social equivalent of picking your nose in public or saying to your BFF "This conversation is really interesting, but excuse me while I score three more points." Crunch all the candy you want, but let's face it, clicking your mouse to get points to build a hen house for your farm or sending someone virtual hugs, flowers, or groceries seems like a crazy waste of time. • There's No Room in the Restroom for a Phone Call. We all know that smartphones carry more germs than a toilet seat – so why contaminate your bathroom with your phone? As a nurse, I can confidently tell you that the last place you want to be sitting and using your smartphone is a toilet seat and I don't care how many paper liners you've stacked up on that seat, not to mention— you're sharing your business with total strangers. Though it may seem painful at first, making these changes to your smartphone habits won't kill you. In fact, I think you'll find that when you use your smartphone just a little bit less, you'll get way more out of it. It can actually become the productivity tool you want it to be instead of a drain on your time and social skills. Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD, is author of the New York Times bestseller, Wicked Success Is Inside Every Woman. WickedSuccess.com. RO

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