Summary
phone checks.. You and I both probably use our phones much too much.
The majority of individuals tend to check their phones every fifteen minutes or fewer, regardless of any warnings or messages, according to psychology professor and The Distracted Mind author Larry Rosen. “We’ve developed a layer of anxiety around using technology, believing that we’re missing out if we don’t check in as frequently as we think we should.”
According to Rosen’s study, the need to constantly check feeds and messages not only makes individuals feel more worried but also makes it difficult for them to concentrate.
Spending too much time on your phone might lead to psychological problems in addition to time wastage. Numerous studies have shown the detrimental effects on social media on mental health, and Facebook acknowledged last year that using its social network inactively may make users feel depressed. The long-term ramifications of devoting so much time and energy to our electronics are still a mystery to researchers.
Some major investors are even putting pressure on Apple to provide additional resources to assist consumers in kicking their phone addictions, arguing that a sense of reliance is detrimental to the long-term viability of the business.
Thankfully, there’s no need to wait for Apple; all you need to do is start using your phone more thoughtfully. Here are some easy suggestions to help rewire your habit if you’re desiring more specific actions to reduce your use than just saying, “I’ll go on Facebook less,” or “I won’t check Snapchat during work.”
Maintain a timetable for yourself
Setting alerts that indicate how frequently you may check your phone is the most fundamental step Rosen recommends for weaning yourself off of it. Begin at every fifteen minutes, then increase to every thirty, forty-five, or sixty minutes. After a minute of scrolling through all of your alerts when your alarm goes off, reset the timer.
Rosen advises letting close friends or family members know that you may not be replying to their messages as soon as you used to in order to lessen response-anxiety and keep yourself responsible.
Disable as many push alerts as you can
You don’t have to be distracted by notifications of new episodes of your favorite podcast or every “like” on your most recent Instagram photo.
To reduce the number of distractions in your life, just disable push notifications for as many applications as possible. To modify your settings, just go to Settings > Notifications. For my part, I only have alerts enabled for my calendars, email, chat messages, and utility applications like GetAround and Lyft, which only turn on when I use them.
Remove applications that are distracting from your home screen.
According to Rosen, “a lot of [phone usage] is unconscious behavior.” “You switch from Facebook to Instagram, then to texting, to checking the weather.”
However, you’ll reduce the number of “accidental” time-sucks that occur when you simply start tapping about on your phone if you have to actively look for an app to use it.
applications that you want to force yourself to use, such as reading or language study applications, should take center stage. Anything you want to spend less time on should be hidden away in folders on your second app page, or off your phone’s screen altogether if you have an Android phone.
Going one step beyond, you might even completely remove certain applications, like Facebook or Twitter, and limit your use to the web browser on your smartphone.
Take your gadget out of bed
Avoid making your phone the last item you look at at night and the first thing you check when you wake up. Using a conventional alarm clock and keeping your phone charged out of reach can prevent you from being tempted to start your day by getting lost in a sea of updates and messages.
Make advantage of your smart speaker if you have one.
The ability to live a life free of screens is one of the greatest benefits of smart speakers like the Google Home line or the Amazon Echo.
I’ve stopped using my phone for music or podcasts since I acquired one, and I’ll attempt to respond to any simple inquiries using voice commands. In general, I’ve been able to avoid holding my smartphone for longer by utilizing my smart speaker for as many tasks as feasible.
Try using the grayscale feature on your phone
Making your smartphone’s screen far less appealing to look at is one of the most startling methods to reduce the amount of time you spend using it.
To get rid of the “shiny rewards” that colored symbols provide you every time you open your phone, Time Well Spent, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving our interactions with technology, advises turning your phone to grayscale.
I ended up turning it off many times when I wanted to use Maps or snap pictures, but overall, I found this approach to be really helpful in keeping me away from applications like Facebook and Instagram.
By navigating into the “Accessibility” area of your phone’s settings, you may enable grayscale. Locate “Display Accommodations” on an iPhone, then choose “Color Filters.” Locate “Vision” on a Samsung smartphone, then scroll down to “Grayscale.”
Remain responsible
Do you want to assess your development?
You may establish a use target and monitor your progress by downloading an app that records your smartphone habits, such as QualityTime or Moment.
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