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Owwwwwww.
I grabbed the handle of my luggage and prepared to lift it, but without success. After six hours of torture in the form of a non-stop phone, my hands were begging for a break. If the quintessence of the millennium awakening existed, that was it.
I have known for a long time that I (and many people) spend too much time on the phone – and probably without good reason. In one way or another, viewing my inbox or browsing Instagram for a few minutes is never enough. "Just checking something really quick" often turns into a 30-minute dopamine party, consisting of pretty pics, double taps and swipes that make me feel productive when I'm not.
A 2018 study by Nielsen found that American adults spent about two hours and 22 minutes a day on the consumption of media on their devices, up from the previous study. This number does not seem to include the time spent on messaging or, you know, to unlock your phone at random because, who knows. For me, this all-inclusive number began to oscillate about four hours a day – until I did something about it.
And, wow, I feel better.
Read more: According to the WHO, no more than one hour of screening for children under 5 years
Why could not I put my phone?
Researchers do not really know why smartphones are so addictive, but they have ideas. This could be the phone itself, like the satisfying sensation of unlocking or touching the screen. There could also be feedback loops created by apps like Facebook and Instagram. (Something tells me that it's mostly the last one, but after using the techniques below, I think it's both.)
Almost all the biggest giants of technology have stood up against the scourge of excessive screen time in recent years, and most have begun to introduce features or tools to track or limit the time of day. ;screen. But they have financial incentives not to go too far in that direction. We saw this angle in a New York Times report Apple's attack to third-party applications for iPhone designed to limit phone dependence.
A former Google Product Manager called the slot machine smartphone that exploits the workings of all our brains: we are looking for dopamine (the molecule of happiness), what our phones provide. Product designers, he said in a 60-minute interview, are designing products that exploit this vulnerability and make us addicted.
It's really so simple: we are all Pavlov's dogs.
What is the problem with smartphone addiction?
In addition to the repetitive strain injuries that I have suffered in my hand, the effects of phone dependence are mainly psychological.
Anxiety and telephone use continue to be correlated in studies, which show that those who spend a lot of time on the phone also tend to be anxious, depressed or have low self-esteem. But just as we do not know if it's the phone itself or the applications that create such an addiction, we do not know if people already anxious spend too much time on their phone, or vice versa.
Phone dependence (and applications) is so problematic that unfortunate but justified terminology has been created to describe some of its symptoms:
- NOMOPHOBIA. Yes, "No-Mobile-Phobia." That is, the fear of being without your device.
- FOMO. The fear of missing.
- Anxiety. Ringtones or vibrations imagined that cause a frequent check of your phone.
- Textiety. Anxiety associated with the feeling of having to answer a text message as soon as possible.
How did I reduce my screen time to an hour a day
If I can do it, you can too. After implementing these techniques, I reduce more than three hours of phone screen per day. It was extremely hard and I sometimes exceed an hour, but I feel much better.
In general, I feel less anxious, but I am also very happy to give all my attention to tasks other than telephony (like talking to other humans) (which is hard to do when you always catch your phone ). Here is what I did.
Get your phone in grayscale
Without all these colors, applications like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and even new applications are much less interesting. It's a fantastic little trick that has worked wonders for me. On an iPhone ($ 1,000 at Amazon), select Settings> Accessibility> Display Accommodations> Color Filters. Enable this setting.
Then go to Settings> Accessibility> Accessibility Shortcut and select Color Filters. Now, for the rare moments when you need to see your screen in color, you can click three times on the side button of your phone. To return to grayscale, triple-click again.
Disable & restart to wake up & # 39;
All you need is a little help and your phone's screen turns on. In the car or at my office, I noticed that these awakenings would throw me into long, unplanned phone calls. If you turn off this feature, your phone will attract you a lot less.
To turn off the raise to reactivate on the iPhone, go to Settings> Display & Brightness. Toggle Restart Revival to the stop position.
Disable almost all notifications
This trick is incredible. At first you will instinctively unlock your phone to see if you have missed notifications. Then, as the days go by, your willingness to unlock becomes less common because you discover that there is absolutely nothing waiting for you there.
I have disabled notifications for emails (except key people, such as my direct counterparts and my manager), messages and Google Calendar. That's all.
Delete social media apps
No, I'm not kidding. Yes I am serious. No, you will not die without Facebook.
I deleted Facebook a few years ago and never looked back. I felt almost instantly better, and I think you too.
Admittedly, I did not delete Instagram. Instead, I use the Screen Time feature of the iPhone limit the amount of time I can spend on social media applications, including Instagram.
Stop pooping with your phone
Humanity has survived millennia without a bathroom companion and I believe you will live too. Bringing your phone with you to switch to number two is not only disgusting, it's also a lame excuse to spend more time checking scores, flipping through social media or playing games.
Depending on your time spent in the bathroom, this could significantly reduce the time spent in front of your screen.
Discipline your search habits on Google (and those of your friends)
My friends hate me seriously for that, but they also love me for that (I think). The next time you discuss a fact fact during a dinner with friends, prevent yourself and everyone else from grabbing a phone to search for it on Google.
If you never find what is the state of Nebraska bird, who cares? In exchange, the animated conversation continued and was not stopped by a definite fact that no one will remember anyway.
Stop taking as many photos
Just as over-research prevents your brain from retaining information, taking pictures prevents your brain from forming real memories. In three studies, people who did not take photos during an experiment had much more detailed memories than those who took them.
If this is not enough reason to leave your phone in your pocket, I do not know what it is.
Leave your phone behind
On weekends, I need a lot of time – sometimes hours – to respond to messages. That's because my phone is rarely with me. At lunch or hiking, I leave my phone behind and spend more time "living in the moment" and away from my screen.
Do not use your phone as an alarm clock
One minute you set the morning alarm and the next 30 minutes you are in other applications. Keep your phone out of the room reduces screen time, but can also reduce anxiety. A recent survey found that people who slept near their phones were twice as likely to report a nounophobia.
Make use of a smartwatch or a tracker
My biggest challenge with phone addiction was what I called the "rabbit hole". I received a notification – even just a text message – and suddenly I'm in the rabbit hole, checking other apps and spending many minutes on my phone.
In some cases, the addition of another technological element could prevent this. By using a smartwatch or fitness tracker with notification features, you can check the time and receive important messages without falling into the rabbit's hole.
The main asterisk here is that smartwatch notifications can easily get out of hand. You must be very disciplined to limit the type of notifications you receive on your wrist.
Inform your friends and family
As with any goal, informing your friends and family of your willingness to reduce screen time will help you stay honest.
The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or health advice. Always consult a doctor or other qualified health professional for any questions regarding a health problem or health goals.
Originally released April 25 at 6 pm Eastern Time.
Update of April 27: Adds the mention of the New York Times report on Apple and apps designed to limit phone dependency.
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