How to cure your Technology and Phone Addiction
Becoming aware of why you are using the internet and technology as your coping mechanism is very much being in touch with your own emotional and mental health.
Like a drug, the internet is an instant temporary distraction from your real world problems. At times, it is like your best friend that provides you with practical professional advice and solutions. For example, google maps have become our best directory guide which can navigate us precisely step by step through unfamiliar streets. Long gone are the days where we would need to approach people on the streets to ask for directions to anywhere.
The steep development of technology has made radical changes in our lifestyle. Like the adage goes: As phones get smarter, people get dumber. I should also add that people are becoming less street smart too.
However, more and more people are using it excessively and impulsively nowadays. It is not uncommon to see people scrolling through social media short stories mindlessly for hours on end in apps like TikTok, Instagram or Facebook because of the instant entertainment value and thrill it provides.
Why is phone and technology addiction so bad?
Research have shown that people who have anxiety, depression or stress tend to use technology compulsively. This worsens their state of mind and destroys their need for healthy relaxation and peace. The amount of time a person spends online depends on how well they can manage their moods and emotional state of mind. The inability to control how much time you spend using your phone or technology means that you have a technology addiction.
Further studies also conclude that technology addictions causes a person to be less focused, easily overwhelmed, stressed and anxious. This hampers a person’s mental well-being or aggravates their emotional, mental health and even physical health in the long term. It can create social anxiety, ADHD and other mental illnesses. It affects their performance at work or at school as they often feel lethargic, tired and unable to focus properly. Your physical health declines as you spend excessive time on the screen, neglecting physical exercise and not receiving the proper food nutrition. It causes the brain to be unable to think creatively and actively. In some extreme cases, technology addictions are so bad that people can feel anxious whenever they are not mindlessly scrolling through social media. It can also lead to socially destructive behaviour and studies also show that such people can become more prone to abuse alcohol and drug substances.
Here are steps I found that you can take to limit or reduce your incessant use of mobile phone or technology which have also worked for me:
Manipulating the settings on your phone/electronic device
1. Reduce blue light emission from your display screens during the evening
Blue light is a type of light that is emitted from your electronic devices which causes you to be more awake and sleep less. It is also known to cause headaches, eye straining and disrupt your sleeping cycle. You can do this by toggling night light settings on both Apple iPhone and android devices.
Toggle display settings on iphone/ipad
On your iphone search “night shift” and click on it. Switch on night shift and schedule to have it on in the evening, few hours before your bedtime. Adjusting to warmer colours will reduce blue light effect.
Toggle display settings on android phone/tablet
This may be read as night mode, reading mode or other night display related modes. Go to your settings > Display > Night light > turn on and adjust to warmer colours.
2. Schedule Do Not Disturb Mode on when you are sleeping at night.
This ensures that you will not be alerted of any notifications.
3. Turn off notifications for any unnecessary apps.
A good measure is to switch off notifications for any apps that you don’t use on a regular daily or weekly basis.
If you have gone down the rabbit hole of uncontrollably indulging in digital social media content without realising, you can set an alarm or a daily reminder on your phone to remind yourself this:
“Live happier and freer with screen off time.”
“Free your mind with screen off time.”
Make a plan to reduce and limit your screen on time with your mobile’s digital health settings.
Like all addictions, it is hard to go cold turkey in completely quitting your technology or phone addiction. You could start from taking breaks in between and then reducing your screen on time gradually. The movement of Digital Wellbeing has gained awareness over the years as giant technology companies are incorporating digital mindfulness for the mental, physical, social and emotional health of the user. There is a balance between using technology for our beneficial knowledge gain until it becomes too much that it affects our health negatively. Technology companies have taken people’s addiction to their personal electronic devices very seriously by setting up healthy mindful control measures to cope with user’s screen on time such as iPhone’s screen time features over here and Android’s Digital Wellbeing features over here.
Find iPhone Screen Time Features by searching “screen time” on your iphone search bar. You can find out more on how to utilise Apple’s screen time over here.
Find Android’s Digital WellBeing Features in Settings>Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls. You can find out more on how to utilise Android’s Digial Wellbeing over here.
Find new hobbies and passion
Finding a new hobby or passion can be satisfying and also distracts you from the use of technology.
This could be a walk in the park, cycling, exercising, drawing, photography, astronomy, painting or reading a physical book.
You could also learn a new skill such as cooking, pottery making, crochet, scuba diving and more. This will broaden and expand your mental horizon and takes time away from you constantly being on your digital devices.
Spending more time with your family, friends and your local community.
Another way to get off technology is to spend more time with your family, relatives or friends. You could arrange a meetup, reconnect with your old friends or join an interest group so that you don’t lose touch with the real world. Unplug from your electronic devices and feel more refreshed when your mind and eyes are not always busy glued onto the screen.
