How to control smartphone addiction is a question many people ask as phones become a bigger part of everyday life. Constant scrolling, notifications, and social media can make it hard to put your phone down.
Let’s look at 3 common causes of smartphone addiction and 2 simple ways to overcome them. Whenever I sit down to study, I either feel sleepy or start browsing on my smartphone.
The addiction to smartphones seems to be increasing day by day. It has become impossible to spend a day without a smartphone. If you have such a problem, then unfortunately, it can be said that you are suffering from ‘nomophobia’.
That is, the fear of being away from a smartphone. Whatever you become addicted to eventually starts controlling you. This affects your relationships with others and your daily life.
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A study has shown that a person addicted to smartphones checks their smartphone at least 115 times a day. This rate is an average of 5 times per hour. If you have such a problem, then you have similarities with the disease ‘nomophobia‘.
If you take your mobile phone in your hand while hanging out with friends, while eating, or even before getting out of bed in the morning, then you should seriously consider the matter.
Because it destroys the productivity and concentration within you. Not only that, it will also put you at health risk. Therefore, in today’s discussion, some practical ways to solve this problem will be discussed. Let’s start.
First, we will find out the reasons for becoming addicted to smartphones and then try to solve them in practical ways which can be easily implemented.
Reason Number 1: Easy Means Of Entertainment
The biggest advantage has now turned into the biggest problem. Because smartphones can be carried anywhere you want. It can be operated in any way, lying down, standing, or sitting. And there is a Wi-Fi connection.
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As a result, the world is at your fingertips with one click. And low cost, less effort, more benefits! So, it is natural to be addicted to smartphones. Everyone likes entertainment. But everything is good up to a certain limit.
If that limit is exceeded, then there is harm instead of benefit. We check WhatsApp 10 minutes after sitting down to read, to see if any friend has sent a message or a funny video.
We check Facebook notifications while eating. We get big rewards (entertainment) very easily. So, we easily get addicted to smartphones. Therefore, to avoid the grasp of easy entertainment, we must balance a certain limit.
Reason Number 2: Fake Urgency”
We give ourselves a common excuse as soon as we wake up in the morning and take our smartphones in our hands. “Let’s quickly check for any important notifications.” Has anyone sent an important message?”
Then we start wasting time on things that are not important. So, as soon as we wake up, the brain starts working on operating the smartphone.
As a result, overall productivity declines. Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram.
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These social media platforms create a false sense of urgency in our brains. It feels like we’ll miss out on something huge if we don’t access these social media platforms.
But this is entirely a false feeling. It won’t harm you or benefit you if you check what your favorite celebrity wrote on Twitter in the evening instead of the morning.
We all know this. But the feeling is so intense that we can’t overcome it.While studying, we check Messenger or WhatsApp every 10 minutes. We check if anyone has messaged us.
We feel even better when we get a message because then we can spend time chatting. So, we need to find some ways to suppress those feelings.
Reason Number 3: No Passion
When we feel bored or spend idle time, we repeatedly pick up our smartphones. We want easy entertainment then. This is natural human behavior.
We should always try to overcome boring situations because an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.
You may have heard this proverb before. When we feel love and passion for a task, we don’t think about picking up our smartphones while doing it! But the problem is that while doing the passionate task, the desire to browse the smartphone nearby may arise.
Every habit can be divided into 3 parts. These are triggers, routines, and rewards. Keeping the smartphone at hand or in sight, or the sound of notifications, acts as a trigger for a habit.
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Then, taking a smartphone and using social media or browsing is considered routine. And we accept the entertainment from them as a reward. Therefore, this chain of habits must be broken. So, let’s look at the solutions to these one by one.
Solution Number 1: Stay Away From Smartphones
A research study has shown that after waking up perfectly in the morning, we have strong willpower, energy, and productivity for about 3 hours. So, we should utilize this time properly.
Therefore, to utilize this time, we have to stay away from our smartphones. We have to use the first 3 hours after waking up in the morning correctly.
Similarly, after returning from school, college, or office, after taking a little rest, the next 3 hours should be used in the same way. These 6 hours are very important for us.So, we have to stay away from smartphones during this time.
During this time, the smartphone should be kept in another room or in a table drawer or inside a desk. As a result, if the smartphone is not in sight, the habit chain will not start.
If important messages come on WhatsApp, Messenger, or email, then the solution is that there will be no harm in checking after 3 hours.
And if there is a possibility of financial loss, then you can keep the smartphone notification on and keep it away. If someone doesn’t get a reply to an urgent message, they should call at least once.
Emergencies can happen at any time. Turning off the smartphone is also not the right solution. Because in this case, attention may go towards the smartphone. There is no need to put it in silent mode.
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Just turn off the Wi-Fi connection. This will create a balance between the mind and the intellect. We need to entertain our minds. But there is a limit to the time and amount of this entertainment.
If you follow the ‘Stay away from the smartphone’ rule, you have to abstain from entertainment for a maximum of 6 hours! At other times, you can entertain your mind if you wish.
Because you definitely have the right to this reward. Also, we have to stay away from our smartphones while doing certain special tasks.
For example: while eating, while talking face-to-face with someone, at least 30 minutes or 1 hour before sleeping.
Because, if you don’t eat with attention, the digestive process is damaged. If you use a smartphone while talking face-to-face with someone, the other person feels unnecessary.
Using a smartphone before sleeping damages the eyes with the blue light of the screen and changes the sleep pattern. This harms health.
So, by using smartphones with limitations, we can improve productivity, health, and relationships.
Solution Number 2: Following One’s Passion
If there is no goal in life, laziness puts more pressure. People become more addicted to smartphones out of boredom. And if you live an idle life, the smartphone becomes an object of addiction.
Our minds enjoy doing this more. So, we should all find our own passion.We’ve discussed how to find your passion. If you’re interested in learning more, you can read the full article on our website.
If you find your passion, even if there is a smartphone in front of your eyes, it will not act as a trigger. Because then all your attention will go towards that passion and one day you will succeed in achieving that goal.
As a result, you will not develop an addiction to smartphones.
