Summary

The article discusses the pervasive issue of smartphone addiction, its negative impact on sleep and productivity, and provides strategies for managing phone usage to prevent it from becoming a major distraction in life.

Abstract

The article titled "The Biggest Distraction In Your Life" identifies smartphones as a significant source of distraction, with Americans spending an average of 5 hours a day on their devices. It highlights the addiction-like behavior associated with phone use, particularly among young people, and how this can detract from achieving personal goals. The blue light emitted by phones is pinpointed as a cause for poor sleep quality, leading to unproductive days. The author suggests that while phones can be essential for work, excessive use for entertainment can hinder progress. Strategies to combat phone addiction include using the phone's built-in screen time features to monitor and limit usage, setting daily time limits, and prioritizing tasks to ensure that phone use is productive and does not interfere with achieving life goals.

Opinions

The author believes that phone addiction is comparable to drug addiction, with many unable to go without checking their devices.
The article suggests that the importance of phones for work is often exaggerated, and people should critically assess how much time they actually need to spend on their devices for professional purposes.
It is the author's opinion that phones are designed to distract users, creating a bubble that can consume anywhere from 10 minutes to 10 hours of their time.
The author emphasizes that phone use should be intentional and controlled, advocating for a balanced approach where phone use is earned after completing daily tasks and goals.
The author posits that succumbing to phone addiction indicates a lack of mental strength, and that individuals must take action to prevent their phones from controlling their lives.
The article concludes with a call to action for readers to gradually reduce their phone usage, using it as a tool for networking and building businesses rather than as a source of endless distraction.

Photo by Benjaminrobyn Jespersen on Unsplash

The Biggest Distraction In Your Life

“The Distraction Device”

You all probably saw this coming from a mile because you know what it is. The iPhone, flip phone, Samsung, or whatever phone you have is one the biggest distraction in your life. Did you know that Americans spend an average of 5 hours a day just browsing, according to Flurry Mobile.

And on top of that more than 50% of young people believe that they have an addiction. Many of you who are reading have goals and ambitions but do you think if you just watch Youtube all day on your phone that it will happen?

Is It Similar To Drugs?

I can’t stop using it

Is comparing the phone to a drug a stretch? No, the use of the phone is similar to the use of drugs, many people can’t stop sending that last text or checking who posted what on Instagram. People can’t even go a day without using their phone and that is very sad. And I used to be like that.

I sometimes just want to use my phone at night to watch Netflix, Youtube, and sometimes just to see my friends Snapchat stories. We all can’t help it sometimes and it is okay because we aren’t robots. But it comes down to what is important to you, would you rather watch a Netflix show or edit your Youtube video? That is a question you should ask yourself because to give up this cell phone addiction you must find something that you love to do that will distract you from your phone.

Stop Using Your Phone At Night!

Bad Sleep

When I was in high school, I used to always stay up till 12 to watch Youtube thinking that I would get a good 6 hours of sleep, and boy was I wrong. I would always wake up groggy and just lethargic, which would result in me having to take naps in my first two classes to get back the sleep I missed the night before. I was tired of this so I did some research on why I can’t sleep well and I found out that it was because of my phone.

So, if you don’t know the reason you can’t sleep well after using your phone at night is because the blue light that the iPhone emits to your eyes restrains the production of melatonin. This results in you having a hard time trying to sleep, according to Sleep.org. Sleep is essential but this phone that we are addicted to is stripping us from getting the sleep that we need to have in order to have a productive day. Don’t let this phone addiction take away your sleep.

How Important Is Your Phone?

I need it for my work

Some people say they need their phone for their work and you may be right. Ask yourself, how many hours do you need to use your phone? If you need to use your phone for 2 hours then for the whole day your phone shouldn’t be used for 4 hours. This is an example of oversing your phone because you spent the other 2 hours of just browsing, watching, and texting.

The use of the phone is what either can help or prevent you from achieving your goals. If you are starting a business, then you might need to use your phone for 3 hours to network and promote your business. But if you are just using your phone for 3 hours to watch Game of Thrones or Outer Banks then you aren’t using your phone effectively.

Yes, you should have fun and enjoy watching your favorite show but only if you got your important tasks done. I schedule my day into where I like to get all of my important tasks done before 3 so that I can either brainstorm for a new idea for an article and my upcoming podcasts. And when accomplish my daily goals, I feel that I deserve to sit down and relax to watch Youtube or Netflix.

How Can I End My Phone Addiction?

Try To Limit Yourself

First off, if you have any type of phone then you should know that it comes with a screen time section where you can monitor your usage and set up time limits. You have no excuse for not being able to control your usage, it will be hard to break that habit but you have to stay strong because in all honesty the phone is made to distract you. The “distraction device” is the main purpose to hinder your progression and block everything that is going on in your life. It sucks you in this bubble where you can be there for 10 minutes to 10 hours.

I know people who can’t live without their phones and it is very sad to see. I set a time limit on my phone for 3 hours because I only need it to send emails, post on IG for my upcoming podcast, and to network. We must see that yes it is okay to use it but you can’t just sit there and use it for hours without getting anything accomplished. I don’t like using my phone during the daytime because I feel guilty for using it even if I did all my tasks for the day. It is just something that doesn’t sit well for me and some of you can relate to this.

Start Now

Take Action

The phone is meant to trap you like I said but now you know how to get out of the trap. It’s hard for people to just completely stop using their phone because that is our way of socializing but despite that it shouldn’t lead to you becoming addicted to it. Before I got into self-improvement, I didn’t care about how much I was using my phone until I came to realize that I had goals that I wanted to achieve and that this device is holding me back.

We all have goals/dreams that we want to reach but it comes with a heavy price. The goal I want you to set is to slowly start to limit your usage of your phone, if you use it for 4 hours then use it for 3 hours and so forth. It isn’t easy but you will feel better once you start doing this. The phone isn’t a tool to help you rather it is there to distract you.

Don’t let the phone control you because if it can control you then it shows that you are weak mentally. The creators of all these phones made it so that it could help you but also hinder you from moving forward. Use the phones the right way, such as to network, build business, and maybe even find that one friend through Facebook that you lost contact with. There is a fine line between using the phone and abusing the phone. My question is where are you on that line?