Are you addicted to your smartphone? If so, you're not alone. Studies show that we use our iPhones excessively--an average of 80-150 times a day. Clearly, there's a lot of good that comes with frequent use of our devices, but there's also a downside.
Research shows that as we grow more dependent on technology, our intellect, attention levels, and social skills weaken. In fact, with just the mere presence of our smartphones, our ability to focus on a task and solve problems decreases. So, let us look at how we can deal with this problem.
1. Calm Your Mind -There is a real euphoric sensation when you get a social media notification, such as when someone likes a photo you've posted to Instagram or Facebook. These moments trigger a dopamine release in the brain, a chemical that creates feelings of pleasure. It's an essential part of our brain's rewards system, which is why it's also gets blamed for addiction. Meditation, yoga, exercise, and other mindfulness activities have been proven to create a natural release of dopamine, reducing the craving from the dopamine rushes your phone provides.
2. Seek Help from Friends- As is the case with any addiction, the first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem. Admitting to those around you that you want to reduce your smartphone usage can create a necessary feedback system. Ask them to hold you accountable. You might not notice when you're scrolling through the screen during a family gathering, but others do. Your friends and family can call you out to bring you back to the present moment.
3.Turn Your Phone to Grayscale - This is a popular recommendation by Tristan Harris, Co-Founder of the Center for Human Technology. Research shows that colors are attached to emotions and priorities--especially that little red notification bubble that has controlled us for so long. Turning your phone to black and white can reduce the urge you have to view new notifications that pull you into the infinite scrolling vortex.
4. Track Your Usage -Addicted to your smartphone? There's an app for that. Ironically, you can try to stave off addicting smartphone apps with another app. While not ideal, there are apps like SPACE and Moment helps you find your personal phone-life balance by monitoring your smartphone use and setting limits. This is indeed a great idea to know how much time you waste on a smartphone.
5.Turn Off All Notifications Unrelated to Communication from Real People- Our devices were meant to increase our connectivity to other people; so, keep it that way. Turn off any notifications from apps unless they're alerting you that a co-worker, friend, or family might need your attention in real-time. You might even consider deleting social media apps from your phone altogether and only accessing them via a computer. The constant friend and family updates can wait until later, I promise.
6. Use the Physical Versions of Useful Apps- We've all been there before: you unlock your phone to check the weather or make a note and the next thing you know you've been in your Instagram feed for 20 minutes. To avoid this problem, try replacing as many digital tools with physical ones. For example, using a real alarm clock (and keeping your phone out of reach while sleeping) can help prevent you from wasting time before bed or right when you wake up. Carry a physical notebook and pen to take notes. Read paperback books and avoid digital versions.
7. Stop Scrolling -Many of the most popular mobile apps (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and more) are designed with infinite scrolling functions, where you can consume an endless feed of information. This is indeed the policy of social media handles to engage the viewer as more as possible. Hence one should be aware of the time spent on the handles and should stop scrolling after a certain time limit.
I am sure after reading the above content, you must have got an idea about the solutions to smartphone addiction. It is a very common problem amongst the youth nowadays. Hence, one should use it only for beneficial purposes and keep an eye on the time spent on using smartphones. So, the next when you use it, keep an eye on it.
Written By - Vaibhav Sharma
Edited By - Kashish Chadha
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