Phone addiction sounds like an odd problem defining the obsessive usage of smart devices. People are stuck between what they should do and how they could minimize their phone usage. Smartphones can be many things but the users want to use it as an entertainment device. Today smartphones have become a necessity to survive in social and professional life where they play a crucial role in recent days. However, along with benefits, there are some serious health concerns arising from the excessive usage of smartphones.
Phone addiction is as real as any addiction
Everyone is talking about how smartphones have made our lives easy and convenient. However, this seamless experience comes with an unbearable cost of getting addicted. Listed below are some of the recent data showcasing the worst conditions of people getting hooked on smart devices and apps:-
- An ordinary phone user will touch his phone 2617 times a day; if any person exceeds these numbers, he or she is getting addicted to the phone.
- Most people have the maximum screen time of 3 hours 15 minutes on their device and we all know how small this number is. If you are following any passion in the tech industry, you must review devices and spend most of your time on smart devices.
- Apart from smart devices, tablets, laptops, and gaming PCs are other reasons why people are getting hooked on smart devices more than they need.
These staggering figures are worrying but still, people will continue to use their devices excessively without any remorse. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be worried about deteriorating health conditions from bad posture to a sedentary lifestyle.
Apart from that it also affects our social interaction with each other and minimizes conversation about anything. So listed below are some common impacts of using excessive smart devices which are becoming natural to it.
- Due to excessive usage people are forgetting to start communication about anything.
- It adversely impacted our cognitive performance at grass root level where we could hardly solve any high school grade questions.
- Most people often complain about insomnia and sleep deprivation but don’t do the right thing to fix it completely which is reducing their phone usage.
- People are becoming emotionally numb as they hardly feel anything due to their excessive usage of smart devices and they forget how human connections have been made.
- Everyone can see and some are falling victim to obesity or a sedentary lifestyle where all they want to do is simply scroll on social media and be couch potatoes.
Scientific ways to break your phone addiction
- Follow the day/week policy- This is a self-enforced rule that you have to follow if you want to minimize your phone usage and live a healthy lifestyle without undergoing any therapy. However, under this program, you have to choose the weekend days to not touch your phone where you have to spend your time with friends, and family and doing outdoor activities. As a result, reduced phone usage will benefit your mind as well as your body by enforcing self-manifest rules. According to several psychologists, keeping aside your phone habits on a certain day or an hour daily will ultimately help to reconnect with your environment.
- Limit screen time and set digital wellbeing- For Apple or Android users there is a category to limit your phone usage by turning these settings on in any of the devices. By turning these settings on your screen time will drastically reduce as your frequently visited apps will be only available for limited usage. This shift will ease your screen time and lock the frequently used apps once you have reached the maximum screen time that you have to set while turning these settings on.
- Use minimalist apps – This is a common answer to limit excessive phone usage by using apps that support your limited screen time goals. However, several apps provide such assistance for free as well as paid. So, it completely depends on your preference to choose the best one which suits your needs. There are a few recommendations:-
A)- Space is a third-party app that works wonders while limiting your phone usage and providing guidelines to use this app for mindfulness. It is completely free.
B)- Forest ($1.99)- This is a unique approach that uses trees as a mode of accomplishing your goals. So, it uses gratification as a productivity tool to keep your goal on track and let you know when you have achieved a goal by planting a tree in the forest. Therefore, it gives you a sense of confidence while targeting your goals.
- Stop charging your phone near bed- This is gradually the biggest reason why people are using phones at night instead of reading books or sleeping. It is the convenience and accessibility to use smart devices whenever you want. This formed a habit of using smart devices on your terms which can be addictive. However, the biggest step you can take is simply not using your phone before going to sleep because most people maximize their screen time before sleeping which messes up your sleeping pattern. So, you have to make some tough decisions to quit your habit of using your phone before bed.
- Lock your phone while working- This is a common practice followed by Corporate companies where they lock their employees’ smart devices and they will get their devices back once their shift is over. Due to this, people have become much more work-centric rather than phone addictive. But you cannot lock your phone at home, that’s why you should put a rubber band around your phone which will give you a feeling of restriction or bond that you should break to escape from excessive phone usage. You have to practice this habit for a minimum of 21 days to start experiencing the results.
Conclusion
Smart Devices have always been a cause of worry but there are some significant developments in terms of technology where you can make payments, access the internet, and use social media platforms all at your fingertips. But there’s always something that will make excessive phone usage a bad practice due to its negative health impacts.