Besides the repetitive strain injury we experience in our hands, the consequences of phone addiction are mostly psychological. We have seen that angle touched on during a New York Times report of Apple cracking down on third-party iPhone apps designed to limit phone addiction. Researchers don’t definitively know why smartphones are so addictive, but they need some ideas. It might be the phone itself; just like the satisfying sensation of unlocking or tapping the screen or maybe just going through what is already there. Phone (and app) addiction is so problematic that a bunch of unfortunate but justified terminology has been created to explain a number of its symptoms: ranging from nomophobia which speaks of the fear of not having to touch your device to the problem of anxiety that constantly allures you to reply to messages as soon as possible. It is one of the main objectives of product designers to design only those products that bring cash in of this vulnerability of its users and get us hooked to our devices. Sometimes it is even the feedback loops created by apps like Facebook and Instagram. Whatever be the scenario, in one way or another this addiction tends to be unstoppable. Sometimes we might not even realize that we are addicted to our devices until it’s too late.
How too much screen time is affecting kids?
Today’s kids are more affiliated with their parents’ gadgets than their own toys. Research even says that the proportion of screen time spent on educational materials dropped from 78% for younger kids to 27% for older children. Today even the kids of ages 8 to 10 spent more than 2 hours on devices and screens, while only 42 minutes are spent by them on educational media. They found that kids’ exposure to educational media happens much less frequently as children grow old, whilst kids begin to extend their screen time, which as a result definitely results in affiliations to forms of entertainment that in a way aids them to waste time on the devices. Even the children ages 2 to 4 were reported to be spending a mean of 1 hour and 37 minutes each day on screen time. This is the era where even cartoons are watched online. Children are more likely to watch their favorite shows on their phones than the traditional televised way. There was this one time when researchers asked parents about their child’s use of media, including TV, video games, books, e-readers, smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. It was seen most kids are more likely to use devices for concerns that do not really relate to any sought of educative purposes.
The easy hacks to civilization
Mankind who was once known for their simplicity has now complicated their lives into errands of what they call, digitalization. Everyone is so well equipped with gadgets, applications, and latest trends in the market, that they tend to forget how mercilessly they are using these devices and the ways it’s affecting them, their relationships, and their health.
Thus, it becomes extremely important to be aware of certain hacks, that can help us limit out usage and promote us towards a better lifestyle:
- 1. Start off by taking into account what you want to keep on your home screen. Most people are more likely to keep the applications they spend most of their time, in their home screens. It is up to you to prioritize your needs. Delete the applications you don’t require, especially the addictive ones. This is your screen time automatically reduces.
- 2. Keeping a track of the screen time is the most essential part of this detox journey. iPhone usually has this inbuilt application, but for other devices, there is always the option to download applications. Use other devices like laptops for educational purposes which automatically reduces the time you spend on your phone.
- 3. Set notifications for your social media handles. If you’re very addicted to the social media algorithm, you are more likely to spend most of your day just by checking it’s notification. Mute these notifications and also set a daily usage notification for these applications.
- 4. Also if you are someone who’s very addicted to playing video games on your phone, you are more likely to have installed more than one application. If you think this has a huge effect on your screen time, have only one video game downloaded on your phone at a time.
These are the easiest yet the most efficient ways you can reduce your screen time within having much impact on your individual growth. Replace this free time with things you would have done otherwise. This way you are more likely to feel more productive and happier than usual.
