Screen Addiction
On waking up, you check your work email on the phone and catch up on the lingering WhatsApp messages from the previous night. After swiftly responding to a few, you start your day. Then a compelling notification grabs your attention, leading you back to your phone. And that may prompt you to dive into social media pages. Before you know it, you find yourself caught in the endless scroll. This happens through the day and before you realise, your screen time skyrockets.
Most of us are trapped in a relationship with our smartphones. The constant alerts of work emails, messages from work, friends, family and even your child’s school on Whatsapp, notifications from social media apps such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, updates from news and addictive gaming apps, they all create a web that is difficult to evade. So much so that they have become an essential part of our daily lives, making it tough to break free.
Vivo recently published a report titled ‘Smartphones and their Impact on Human Relationships 2023,’ revealing some startling insights into people’s screen habits. The results show that 90% of people acknowledge their phones as an integral part of their lives. Similarly, 83% of children share this sentiment. 83% of children believe their phones are inseparable from their lives, and 91% feel anxious when separated from their devices. Alarmingly, 89% of children compare themselves to online influencers, experiencing dissatisfaction or depression with their current lifestyles. These findings serve as a wake-up call for many of us who are deeply engrossed in their relationships with their phones.
We spoke to Catherine Price, a renowned author of the best-selling book – “How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life,” who has also devised a test that assesses the level of smartphone addiction. She shares, “Screen usage went through the roof during the pandemic. However, now the question is do we want a reset, do we like where we are right now or has this gone too far? I definitely get the feeling that most people feel it has gone too far. We have no boundaries now. Most people don’t realise there is something beautiful about being able to step away from work and be present in other areas of your life but now everything is blurred and it’s definitely contributing to feelings of burnout around the world.”
Are you addicted to your screen?
Catherine shares how it’s important to emphasise that at least in the United States, screen addiction has not been classified yet as an actual disorder by the psychiatry association. “I think it’s a matter of time though. But I would say that most time sucking apps are deliberately designed to mimic slot machines and they are considered to be the most addictive machines to have been invented. In the US, the last version of the psychiatry manual for the first time included behavioural addiction as a disorder – gambling. These apps are designed to mimic slot machines and gambling was classified as an actual addictive disorder. To me it’s like the next logical step and by everyone’s lived experience.”
She feels it’s important to ask yourself some questions. “Do you feel that you can step away from your phone without suffering from any anxiety or distress? If you can’t, it is a sign of an addictive relationship. The way addiction works is when you feel compelled to continue to repeat a behavior even though you know it has negative consequences. How do you feel when you are on your phone aware that it’s interfering with your relationships? The research reveals that for 90 percent of parents, phone interferes with their relationship with their children. The good news is that unlike chemical or substance addiction, it is easy to take first steps and your relationship with your phone can begin to change pretty quickly.”
STEP 1: AWARENESS
The initial step is creating awareness and assessing your relationship with the phone. Take a moment to reflect on personal priorities, such as meaningful relationships and hobbies. Every 20 minutes spent on the phone means you didn’t spend those 20 minutes with your loved ones or focusing on personal interests, it serves as a wake-up call. Strategically place reminders of your goals on sticky notes around your home and office.
STEP 2: DO THE MATH
Do the math and find out how much time you are spending on your phone Multiply the time spent by 365 to find out your annual commitment to the device. This number can be a powerful reminder of the time you waste on your smartphone.
STEP 3: MAKE IT INCONVENIENT
Your phone charging point should not be within arm’s reach of your bed and create no phone zones. You have to agree ahead of time with your family, friends or even colleagues to discourage phone usage. Call out each other for the behavior. Also set meal time as no-phone time.
STEP 4: MAKE YOUR PHONE UNAPPEALING
Change your settings in the phone and set it to black or white which will make it less appealing to you and release less dopamine. Challenge the habit of placing the most frequently used apps prominently on the home screen. Create a deliberate effort to place these apps out of view when unlocking the phone.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, EDUCATE CHILDREN
Educating children is most crucial. They need awareness not only of appropriate phone usage but also understanding the business models behind these devices. Films like “The Social Dilemma” effectively explain the business model behind social media platforms. Stress that time spent on these platforms translates into revenue for others. “Advocating for a mindful approach to technology is not about discarding it entirely; rather, it is a recognition and awareness of the risks associated with certain apps and usage patterns.
