Elaine Welteroth says she’s addicted to her phone, and we’re not at all surprised. The former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue boasts over 240,000 followers on Instagram alone. In a recent interview with Thrive Global founder and CEO Arianna Huffington, in partnership with iHeartRadio and Sleep Number, the millennial influencer opens up about her unhealthy relationship with technology.
“I have a huge addiction to my phone that I’m struggling with,” Welteroth says adding, “I think I’m not alone, right?”
Unfortunately, she’s absolutely right.
A 2016 poll released by Common Sense Media found that 50 percent of teens and 27 percent of parents feel they are addicted to their smartphones. Welteroth, who considers herself as part of that 50 percent, depends on her phone as an alarm clock. So, she’s never really without it. Sometimes she even tucks it under her pillow.
Luckily, Welteroth is ready to start engaging technology with intention, rather than being impulsive. “I recognize the value of really creating boundaries around this relationship that we all have with our cell phones and technology in general,” she says. Millennial influencer Amandla Stenberg– who gave up smartphones all together– is Welteroth’s source of inspiration.
“I see you [actually] as a leader, too, because it does start with acknowledging that you have a problem,” Huffington tells Welteroth. And she’s come to the right place.
Huffington says she has the perfect solution: “I’m giving you an alarm clock, that’s beautiful, vintage-looking,” she says adding, “Once I give you the alarm clock, what are the chances honestly of you putting your phone in the little phone bed?”
When Huffington challenges Welteroth to sleep without her phone in the same room, will she accept? To find out, listen to the full conversation on iHeartRadio, here.
You can also listen to the Thrive Global podcast internationally for free on iTunes and Stitcher.