The dangerous dependence on smartphone and how ever get rid of it
Devices / / December 19, 2019
Smartphone - it's magic in its purest form. The device is so small that it can fit in your pocket, you can instantly connect with anyone anything anywhere in the world, to make breathtaking photos and get access to the knowledge of all mankind. Unbelievable!
But, like any magical artifact on a smartphone can be so hurt, that's all you want to do - is to look at his glowing little screen. Remember Gollum (Gollum) from "The Lord of the Rings", which could not break away from his "charm"?
No wonder people were confused: they do not release phones from the handsBut at the same time they feel unhappy, knowing how much time and attention spent on them. Many smartphone users are unable to perform the work thoughtfully and productively build relationships with others, and to live life to the fullest.
Therefore, we offer you comprehensive instructions to get rid of smartphone addiction. When installing an application-blockers on your phone, you are, of course, help yourself to deal with temptation, but it is only one step on the path to a healthy relationship with the gadget.
But why do not limit their pastime with your smartphone?
The negative effects of continuous use of the smartphone
Many people have developed a habit (more reminiscent of dependency) to keep in the hands of the phone. Of course, you can take this as a harmless way to get rid of boredom. Smartphone - a great source of entertainment and a perfect tool for work and communication in the modern world. But studies show that the intensive use of the smartphone has a detrimental effect on some aspects of our lives.
1. Loss of ability to empathize and communicate with other
MIT professor Sherry Turkle (Sherry Turkle) claims that due to communication via telephone, we become less responsive. Dial the message - it's convenient, but we do not see facial expressions, we do not hear the tone, which are so important for the understanding of other people. Moreover, researchers have shown that, if in our field of vision will be the phone, we pay less attention to others, and conversations will be more superficial. When we know that there is a possibility to escape, we see no point in communicating with someone on a deeper level.
The West has long been a problem of loneliness of a large number of people and the development of smart phones played an important role in this.
2. Insomnia
According to opinion polls, 44% of people aged 18 to 24 years old to sleep with a smartphone in hand. A quarter of the respondents agreed with the statement "I do not sleep as well as they used to, because all the time I use gadgets." Using your smartphone may have a negative impact on your dream: Blue light screen effect on circadian rhythms, and the buzz may wake in the middle of the night (by the way, 4 people out of 10 is required to check the phone at night after receipt of the notification). And if you are also concerned about how someone will react to your message, you will not be easy to postpone the device aside and just go to sleep.
3. Absent-mindedness, the loss of the ability to completely surrender to the cause
Although smartphones are often touted as a tool that will let you work on the go, ironically, they are most often the main obstacle to our productivity.
Smartphones, along with other digital devices, accustom our brain is constantly distracted. Calls and signals notifications lead to the fact that our attention is scattered. We can not truly immerse themselves in the work, because there is always a chance that we will be bored on your phone.
A recent study found that when people are dependent on smartphones postponed all devices are powered to perform a single task, they still could not concentrate. The habit to divide attention too deeply embedded in the brain. In other words, due to smartphones atrophies our capacity for kindness and total immersion in the work.
4. Loss of the ability to be fully present in real life
More and more people start their day with the fact that the stretch of the phone. On average, we spend for laptops, smartphones and computers for about 8 hours a day. 81% of users enabled phone 24 hours a day. More than half of millenialov say use the phone constantly.
Every time you look on the phone screen, You stop noticing what is around you: your children, beautiful landscape in the travel time, a friend who is sitting across from you. You simply do not have in the present. Giving the phone your life hour by hour, you are sure to lose nothing?
How to get rid of dependence
You are tired, you can not maintain a conversation with your friends, because you have to constantly be distracted by the phone? You feel guilty when you look in the phone, rather than pay attention to your children? Every evening you feel depressed due to the fact that few have time to work and reach its goals?
The bad news is that the constant use of a smartphone may have a negative impact on your life. The good news: studies have shown that, depending on the smartphone, you can get rid of, although this will require you time and effort. We talk about how to do this.
Step 1. Consider how you use your phone
The first step is to get rid of dependence - determine how much time you spend on your phone for the day. Awareness of how you use your phone help you to a more rational approach to the treatment of them.
Try to count how many times a day do you check, not whether it was missed calls, new messages, or notifications. When I realized that I was looking at the phone about 100 times a day, I began to refer to it much less often.
Help simplify the analysis of the application presented below. Many of them will not only determine how you spend your time, but also to manage it (we'll discuss this later).
Applications for iPhone and Android
Checky. An application that tracks how many times a day you checked your phone. Also allows you to compare statistics for days. Although it does not show how much time you spend in a particular application, but with it you will know how much time per day do you unlock the phone. The numbers may surprise you, and to consider further actions.
Price: Free
Price: Free
BreakFree. Service not only keeps track of how often you use one or another application, but will even send a notification if it considers that you check your phone too often. The BreakFree also includes features that help you limit yourself, for example to turn off Wi-Fi and a notice on any specified period of time.
Price: Free
Price: Free
Android Application
RescueTime. At the service, in addition to free, there are also paid features (see the rates can be here). RescueTime keeps track of how much time you spend on the site, how long you use the application on your computer and smartphone. It's simple: you sign up, install the application, and at the end of each week, the system sends you mail a detailed report.
Price: Free
QualityTime. Another Android-utility that keeps track of how much time you spend in applications, and provides you with detailed statistics. For each application, you can set a time limit, and QualityTime will send you a notification when you are too close approach the limit.
Price: Free
IPhone app
Moment. Although this utility and would not say how much time you spend in a particular application, it will give you an idea of ​​how much time a day do you spend on a smartphone. In addition, Moment allows you to limit the time and lock the phone for a specified period.
Price: Free
Select one of the application to track the time and use it within a week. Try to operate the smartphone as usual (although this can be difficult when not pleasing to the eye appear the figures that you have). And then towards the end of the week you will have a complete picture of how you use your smartphone.
Step 2. Discard the smart phone and buy a "stupid"
Well, last week, and you will have an idea on how you use your phone. Perhaps you are so impressed with the results that we decided to choose the most obvious way to get rid of dependence - to use the device with which you can only make calls and send SMS.
In recent years, there was a tendency to consciously abandon the culture of constant communication and to return to 2001.
After all, if the phone can not install the application, there will be no temptation to constantly check them.
By an irony of most fans 'stupid' phones - among developers in Silicon Valley. These people are mostly engaged in the production of applications causing addiction, but a regular phone are better able to focus on their work. Unlike you. They urge to eat junk food, though they are on a diet.
In addition to saving attention from 'stupid' phones have several important advantages. Firstly, they are much cheaper than their modern counterparts. Here it is possible to include savings and on the board of the mobile Internet. Second, having the easiest phone you will get rid of the temptation to constantly change your gadget to the latest model. After all, if all you need - is to call and send SMS, you do not need a device with built-in heart rate monitor or screen that will automatically scroll when you reading.
"Stupid" phones also safer in terms of storage of confidential data. Many senior executives prefer to regular phones, so that if a gadget suddenly lost or stolen, security is suffered less damage. Think about the information you store on your smartphone: credit card information, e-mail, passwords and so on. What happens if it gets into the hands of ill-wisher? And if you're a bit paranoid and you think that corporations and governments to track your every move, do not worry, 'stupid' phones do not have GPS.
Step 3. Make your smartphone more stupid
What if, after weighing all the pros and cons, you have decided that a regular phone is not for you? Maybe you often respond to emails or use other applications on paper. Or maybe you can not imagine life without photographing their children built-in camera. You can understand.
Then the main problem: how to take full advantage of your smartphone, and do not turn in his servant? Only need to make the smart phone a bit silly. And here are simple ways to crank it.
Tactics â„– 1. Change phone settings
1. Turn off notifications
Hands and itching to take the phone, because he squeaks, vibrates and flashes every time a new message arrives, or comment on your photos to Instagram. How to call Pavlov, flickering screen makes you immediately reach for your smartphone. Reflex may develop to the point that you begin to keep an eye on the phone just waiting for notification.
It is difficult to concentrate on any task, if every 10 seconds, you keep an eye on the phone.
To get rid of the itch, just disable the notification. Go to each application and make sure they are turned off you. In most applications, notifications are enabled by default (the developers are trying hard to bring you), and you must manually turn them off.
This seemingly simple action will dramatically reduce the time you spend with your phone. Without signals or flashing screen you will have no reason to check the smartphone. You will take the gadget in hand, but when you decide to do it.
2. Disconnect the Wi-Fi and incoming calls
Let's assume that you have disabled the notification, but still every now and then ASSUME phone in hand. Then try to turn off Wi-Fi or translate a smartphone in flight mode during certain periods of the day.
You can call and write SMS, if need be, but you can not go, for example, Instagram and other tightening applications.
The disadvantage of this method - and Wi-FiAnd the connection is easy to connect back. Therefore, if you frequently check your email or Instagram, exit the app and do not save passwords. If you still be tempted, you will need to go into the app and enter all data manually.
People - being lazy. Knowing that you have to tinker with the settings, you are likely to prefer to deal with this later.
This is a good tactic, if you study or work and you need time to immerse themselves in the matter, without being distracted by the phone. Look in the application can be when you're done with the set objectives and find yourself at home.
Whether people will not be offended if you do not they answer?
If you are a staunch supporter of smart phones, the biggest concern is caused by the fact that you can not immediately respond to messages if the disconnect notice.
But for the most part this is nonsense. Communication using digital devices takes place in real time. This feature it makes us feel that all incoming messages are futures, When in fact it is not.
Even when it comes to business, the majority of incoming emails can wait an hour or two (more addition, most of the letters in the mail need not respond within a day or more). If the information is really important or there was something extra, you can always just call.
The same applies to private messages. There is always a chance that some SMS must be answered immediately, but most of the messages are neither urgent nor important. Basically, this is the usual chatter: sharing good news, photos or links, preparation of plans for the weekend... It is necessary to begin to answer, difficult to stop.
Turn off notifications for messages and check them in your spare time, but not because they sounded the alarm. Understand that you - not anyone else - must control your attention.
Some disabling notifications given easily, someone difficult to get used to, but if you want less distracted, have to make some effort.
Sometimes, entrepreneurs and managers, who check their e-mail only at a certain time, set up an automatic response, which allows the sender to find out about it. But it seems to me to explain that you do not use your phone at all times, it is not necessary. On the contrary, the expectation of an immediate reply is absolutely unreasonable, so there is no need to make excuses.
Although at first your friends and colleagues and will be a bit unhappy that you are slow to respond to messages and letters, eventually they will get used to your rhythm and will adjust their expectations.
Tactics â„– 2. Remove useless applications
Another way to make your smartphone more stupid, preserving at the same time all his benefits - delete applicationsThat do not lead to a significant improvement in your life or make you get distracted.
If you sit down and honestly evaluate each application, you are likely to realize that only 20% of them greatly facilitate your life and not be distracted, while the remaining 80% are, to put it mildly, entertainment. Seriously. Instagram as checking every 10 minutes, or switch to a new level in Candy Crush game can improve your life? Most likely, no way. Therefore, if you want to focus more on the present, get rid of them.
Look at each application on its screen. Now ask yourself:
- It does to me this application in life or work?
- It does not interfere with me this app is on something to focus?
If you answer no to the first question and yes - the second, immediately remove the application. Games and social networking applications like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat usually fall into this category.
If you answer yes to the first question and no - on the second, application, you can leave. In this category can get the electronic reading room, Google Maps, your bank or taxi app. They facilitate your life, but at the same time you have no need at all times to check them, as, say, Twitter or Instagram.
It is more difficult if both questions you have answered yes. Perhaps there is an application, which you need to work, but at the same time, they are a constant source of temptation. This can be an email client, instant messenger and social networking applications. How to manage your attention in this case? This - in the next section.
Step 4. Fight with the help of technologies
So, you have reduced the list of its application to the most necessary. But despite the work done, you will still be tempted to check the work or just important applications for you again and again.
Take, for example, e-mail. Of course, you need to check the incoming and answer the phone, but you really need to do it consistently? Probably not. The majority of the letters that come to you, not only non-urgent but unimportant and can wait until you get to your desk and write out the answer. But it's hard not to check his email. There is always a glimmer of hope that the next letter will be exactly the news that literally change your life.
Or maybe you use Instagram, to always know what is happening in the lives of your loved ones? I understand it. That's why I left this app on your phone. But you do not need to scroll the tape every 30 minutes. If your tape in Instagram like mine, then you every 30 minutes will see roughly the same thing: guys compete iron dudes shoot out guns, guys showing their clothes, some nice photographs of nature and, of course, lofty motivation quotes. In principle, I have nothing to lose if I do not check the tape. But Instagram, thanks to the endless scrolling, it is impossible not to look through. As is the case with e-mail, there is always hope that's a little more and poskrolish natolknoshsya the amazing, incredible picture. And this thought is haunted.
If you can not or simply do not want to remove these distractions and familiar application, you can control the desire to constantly check them. And this technology can help. We will use blocking and restricting access time applications.
Application to control other applications on iPhone and Android
Freedom. It runs on any device. You simply install the application on the device that you want to manage, sets the list of applications and Web sites that you want to block, and you're done - nothing else will disturb you. It does not matter whether you use a smartphone on your iOS or Android, MacBook or laptop with Windows. As soon as you run by Freedom, the sites to which you are distracted, will be blocked.
Freedom allows you to plan in advance the lock, so you can build the work of the service in accordance with its schedule. For example, if you work on technique Pomodoro, The lock can be switched every 25 minutes and then off for 5-minute break.
Service is fairly new, so there are bugs, but overall it can be assessed as reliable.
And a note to iPhone owners: it is the only known me a service that allows users to lock iOS app on your phone.
Price: Free
Price: Free
Application to control other applications on Android
Focus Lock. A simple application, where you can select exactly what you want to block and for how long.
Price: Free
ClearLock. The application is similar to Focus Lock. The only drawback: you can not schedule a lock. And everyone will have time to go into the app and to celebrate, at what time you want to enable lock mode.
Application not found
Stay Focused. Unlike blocking applications, Stay Focused allows you to track how much time a day do you spend on a particular application. When you have used all the scheduled time, the selected application becomes unavailable to the rest of the day. The only drawback of the app - it is very easy to turn off.
Application not found
My settings
I use a utility RescueTimeWhich is set on the computer and on the phone, and every week I look, how much time I spend on apps and websites.
I made my smartphone stupid deleting unimportant and addictive app. I have no games, Twitter, Facebook. I also do not use the application for reading news. I used to spend on them too much time, and felt that the benefits of them are not very many.
Since my business is largely dependent on messaging, I have a Gmail or Google Hangouts, so I can deal with complex and important cases, even when I'm away from the computer. I also left the Instagram, to upload photos.
These applications are required for the job, but they are distracting. So I chose two utilities that help me manage my attention.
I use by Freedom, to plan, at what time of the day I will not have access to the most distracting applications. I can use them from 5:30 to 9:00 and 17:00 to 20:00 on weekdays, so the rest of the time completely give other pursuits, such as the study of Scripture, keeping a diary, training, their children. On Sunday I block Instagram, Gmail and Chrome, but I can freely enjoy all Saturday.
But even when I do not limit access to applications, I do not want to spend on them too much time. Therefore, use Stay Focused, to track how much time I give this or that program. On each application I set the daily limit yourself to 30 minutes. This time is enough to to post new photos to Instagram, poskrolit news feed, view the email. When time is up, I'm out of the application and did not walk into it during the day.
On his MacBook, I found similar settings, so when working on it, I can be sure that only focuses on the most important task. And each time I am amazed how much time to do, if you do not constantly check their devices.
I hope this guide will help you get rid of the habit of not to release a smartphone from the hands. Use the proposed application and technology, if you want to stay productive and successful person. be master of engineeringAnd not its slave!