#62: You are not your phone

(Even though it feels like it sometimes)

Apr 24, 2024

Hello, and thank you to everyone who voted in my April comic topic poll! The winner was “decreasing screen time.” Here’s what I drew:

Sometimes my phone feels like an extra limb.

I react when it lights up, when it vibrates, when it sings.

When I misplace it, my body goes into panic mode, like I’ve lost a part of myself.

It’s often the first thing I look at in the morning. The last thing I see before I fall asleep.

My self worth sometimes comes from it — are people texting me? Is that a good selfie? How am I being perceived?

Sometimes it feels nice to scroll, to indulge in a little healthy distraction. But lately, I’ve been relying on my phone to fully escape, to avoid thinking and creating and feeling.

I had a breaking point recently, when after an hour of scrolling, I couldn’t recall most of the content I’d watched.

So I’m trying to take some healthy space. I’m trying to reconnect with myself.

And I’m kind of embarrassed of how hard it is.

But I don’t want to spend most of my time looking down at a screen when the world around me glows as brightly as it does.

SOME HOUSEKEEPING:

In the exact opposite spirit of this email, I am doing an IG Live today with Jeff Guenther (known online as the iconic @TherapyJeff). Starts at 4 PM EST/1 PM PST — we’re talking all things dating, love, and (of course) anxiety.
If you live in Seattle, I am having a book event next Tuesday, April 30th at Elliott Bay Book Company! I’ll be in conversation with the brilliant Ellen Forney (author of one of my fave books, Marbles) and it’s going to be fun! I’ll also be bringing a stack of bookmarks, so if you come, you get one for free:
Speaking of my book, please consider leaving a review on Goodreads/Storygraph/wherever books are sold! It helps :)

Have a wonderful, unplugged week!

Caitlinerika

Apr 25

If I don’t live in Seattle is there a way to get a bookmark? I collect random bookmarks and I like it. Also, this has inspired me to put my phone down later tonight and keep reading your book.

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2 replies by Haley Weaver and others

Jenny Morgenthaler

May 2

This is so great! I love that it hits the nail on the head of the hard truth, but does it in such an endearing way!

1 reply by Haley Weaver

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#62: You are not your phone

(Even though it feels like it sometimes)

SOME HOUSEKEEPING:

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