We are living in an increasingly
mobile-connected age. From a tool whose greatest utility was once tied around
making calls and sending short messages, mobile phones have become
indispensable gadgets that play multi-faceted roles including computing,
banking, online shopping, virtual assistant, fitness coach, personal physician,
news source, compass and virtually our window on the increasingly fast-paced
world.
According to the Research and
Development Unit of Yudala, Nigeria’s pioneer online and offline e-commerce
outfit, the growing utility is admittedly related to the rise and penetration
of the smartphone: pocket-sized mobile devices, some of which have the
capabilities to out-perform even some PC laptops.
The foregoing has seen a growing
dependence on smartphones for a variety of tasks. Indeed, a significant
majority of users polled in a recent survey revealed that their first action on
waking up was to reach for their smartphone. Another research study on
smartphone use found that over 90 per cent of respondents admitted to being
phone junkies, claiming a sense of
loss/disorientation or a feeling of being cut off from the world when without
their smartphones.
Usage patterns indicate a growing
addiction to smartphone among various classes and demographics of consumers.
Interestingly, this is not only limited to millennials as research indicates
that many in the older generation display similar patterns. The reality of smartphone
addiction is now a major concern, especially in view of its debilitating
effects on work, health and human relationships.
If you are caught in the web of
smartphone addiction, the following tips from Yudala will help you break the
habit:
1.Turn
off instant notifications: You are in the middle of a crushing schedule
at work, with deadlines looming. Suddenly, your phone buzzes! Immediately, your
attention switches to the device to see who has hit you up on WhatsApp, commented on your latest Facebook post, retweeted that tweet or
liked your picture on Instagram.
Instant notification is one of the features of the smartphone that has
contributed to getting a lot of people hooked on their devices. Good news is
that, you can break that cycle by tweaking your settings to turn off push
notifications for the various apps on your smartphone, especially the
distracting ones from social media.
While this may make you a bit late to
social media activity, the overall benefits are immense as you will gradually
regain control from the tendency to check your device each time it buzzes. For
other apps such as emails, you can choose to manually check once every hour or
even turn on the notifications when out of the office so you don’t miss out on
important correspondence.
2.Use
your smartphone less (with some help from apps): This is
actually possible. By setting particular times in the day when you can use your
device and sticking to these religiously, you can gradually begin to ease the
heavy usage of the smartphone which often results in dependence and addiction. It
is common to see individuals in a social gathering actually devoting more time
to their smartphones, thereby defeating the aim of the meet-up.
As a rule, the
smartphone must be kept far away from you during meetings, social gatherings or
when having your meals. Interestingly, there are a number of apps that can help
limit your smartphone use. Flipd, Moment and BreakFree are three very good examples. These can be installed and
set up to gauge and help you control your smartphone use.
3.Uninstall
unnecessary apps: If you fall into the category of app-happy smartphone users, you stand a
better chance of kicking that smartphone addiction by uninstalling the
unnecessary apps on your device. Rather than being app-happy (always in a hurry to download any new app you come
across), the right mindset to smartphone use is to be app-smart.
This way, you weigh the benefits and utility of each app
and even check out the reviews before you download and install them on your
device. Take the time to go through
the tons of apps on your smartphone and decide which ones are serving
duplicated roles or those that are actually enslaving you to the device. An app
that notifies you of new comments on social media, for instance, may be one of
those to let go of.
By reducing the number of apps, you are taking a strong
step to overcome the addiction to your smartphone. Not only that, interruptions
are reduced, fewer notifications
distract you and you also free up the storage space on your device for more
constructive use.
4.Turn
off your device an hour before going to bed: For most people, this is
a seemingly impossible task. The sad reality is that many smartphone addicts fall into the class of those
who can be found using their smartphone until sleep comes, often far beyond the
normal hours.
It is hardly surprising, therefore, that there is a strong
correlation between this particular improper use of the smartphone and a host
of sleeping orders including, but not limited to, snoring, sleep apnea,
insomnia, sleep deprivation and restless legs syndrome.
In addition, the eyes
come under excessive strain when you peer at the harsh glare of a smartphone
screen for hours in a darkened room. It is advisable to switch off the phone at
least an hour before going to sleep. In addition to helping you sleep better,
the extra hour before bed can be put to better use through meditation,
reflecting on the day’s activity, writing down your accomplishments for the
day, reading a book (paper copy), communicating with your partner/spending time
with your family, which is a very important part of bonding.
5.Keep
the phone away: A common observation among smartphone addicts is
their tendency to always keep their devices within reach. One of the ways of
beating this particular habit is to put some distance, physical or virtual,
between you and your smartphone. When at work, you can have the device locked
up in a drawer with set times for checking it.
The same practice can apply at
home, especially when spending time with family or friends. Complicated or
multiple passwords or screen locks could also come in handy in preventing you
from constant use of the device. Reviewing your smartphone use patterns can
also be a good way of achieving this.
Keeping the phone locked up in another room, for instance, can help you
break the habit of immediately reaching for it upon waking up in the morning.
Same goes for the ability to hold back from posting a picture on social media
immediately it is taken. Control and self-discipline is key.
6.Switch
to a feature phone for a while: To break your smartphone
addiction, you may need to take a radical step by switching to a feature phone
for a while. While the prospects seem unbearable, you may discover that the
decision could eventually help you regain your life, enrich your relationships
and may not be such an uncomfortable experience after all. For a start, you can use a feature phone for
a month before switching back to a smartphone once certain you are in better
control of the addiction. The experience may turn out to be a life-changing
one…
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