It is ironic that you are probably reading this on a phone…
Many of us can agree that mobile phones have indeed stripped us of our quality time we so desperately complain that we don’t have for our loved ones and friends. For the digital natives out there, phone addiction has become somewhat of a big problem in their lives.
On average we spend at least 5 hours on our phones in a day. How can we make sure that we’re not addicted to our phones? It used to be cigarettes but now it has moved towards mobile phones. Though it has brought us much development, it has also stripped us of our rewarding qualities.
We may or may not be able to completely stop using our phones, and that is why we’ve compiled 5 ways to stop checking your phone too often :
1. Delete all social apps
By deleting any of your social applications, you will start noticing that the amount of time you spend on your phone decreasing significantly. This is one of the most effective methods in ensuring that we don’t stare at our phones aimlessly all day. It will obviously be difficult to delete all your applications, so start with one and you’ll be sure to use your phone less.
2. Turn off your notifications
Those push notifications you have on affect you more than you know. If it has nothing to do with important updates, turn off your push notifications. Especially notifications of applications such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc. It has been said that we have a pavlovian relationship with phone noises and vibrations. In layman terms, it simply means you may very well be attuned to the sound of the notifications, eliciting a response upon hearing it. The best way is to disable push notification for every new app you download.
3. Have a hobby to replace your smartphones
You already know you’re wasting an average of at least 5 hours a day on your phone. If you feel like you don’t have enough time doing anything, your phone could very well be blamed. Why not instead of scrolling aimlessly liking photos and reading unnecessary gossip online, use that time to do something a little more productive. You could head to the gym, Do yoga, cycling, sports, pick up an instrument and so much more. There’s an endless selection of things you can do aside from scrolling through your phone that will reward you with so much more benefits than you know.
4. Turn on airplane mode
The airplane mode on your phone should not be only utilised when you’re flying, but also in your everyday life. If you consider yourself a serious user of your mobile phone, consider switching on your airplane mode to avoid constant notifications popping in. Perhaps on a day out with friends or a family gathering, switching on that airplane mode would be a perfect means of having you constantly interact with your friends and family.
5. Switch your phone from black to white
Yes! The feature is actually available for both Android and Apple phones. According to ‘The Atlantic’, this change of color scheme can significantly aid in reducing the addictive quality that every one of us have of staring at our phones. To put your iPhone in grayscale mode, simply go to Settings -> General -> Accessibility and toggle the Grayscale switch to on. For Android users, go to the Settings app > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations > Color Filters.
What ways do you have to fight smartphone addiction? Let us know in the comments!
Header Image : Digital Trends
