According to statistics from media analytics company Comscore, the average American spent 2 hours 51 minutes per day on their smartphone in 2016. This has increased since then. A study of 1,600 professionals and managers supports this conclusion. The researchers found that more than 70% of participants checked their phones within one hour after waking up. 56% checked their phones within the hour after going to bed. 48% checked their phones over a weekend. 44% revealed their vulnerability to anxiety if their phones were lost and they could not be replaced within a week.
These staggering numbers boil down to one: there is a crippling smartphone dependence. According to Peter DeLisi, the academic dean for the Santa Clara University information technology leadership program, the apparent addiction raises the question “Why?”
Why is the smartphone so addictive? Why are people so addicted to their smartphones that they risk their lives to be on them?
Although the answers to these questions are not clear, David Greenfield, Ph.D., psychologist and author of Virtual Addiction Help for Cybeer Freaks, Netheads, and Those Who Love them, believes they can be found. It is clear that some forms of computer usage are compulsive and addictive. These technologies can cause pleasurable feelings, Greenfield says. Greenfield cites the example of the need to check your email for the right message that will bring you the positive feeling you desire.
This is what experts call the “variable reinforcement”. Because you never know when you might receive that email that will give you that satisfaction, you need to keep checking.
Is Smartphone Addiction Unhealthy?
Greenfield says that addiction can lead to unhealthy work and family relationships. Greenfield says that disruption can be as simple as not allowing a friend to check their social media while they eat lunch, or as severe as failing to acknowledge a coworker or partner who is in distress to read your emails.
Experts believe it is more of a disorder than an addiction. According to a 2011 study in the journal Personal and Ubiquitous Computing people might not be as addicted as they think. They may have developed “checking behaviors” through their constant phone use, including the urge to check email notifications, news updates, and social media notifications. The same study also found that “checking behaviors” can be triggered by environmental factors, such as boredom or listening to lectures.
Nichola Carr, author The Shallows. What the Internet Is Doing to our Brains, stated that people tend to be connected to their smartphones from the moment they wake up until the time they go to sleep. The smartphone creates an environment that is constantly interrupted and distracted. Nicholas stated further that smartphones can also take away your ability to focus on one task for long periods of time and steal your time for inner reflection.
How To Break Free From Smartphone Addiction
Experts offer several methods to get rid of your smartphone addiction. Here are some of the options:
- You can also keep your phone away from you: This will help you resist the temptation to look at it.
- You can turn off your notifications. The constant stream of notifications may be the reason you feel the need to check your phone more often. Muting notifications allows you to check your notifications at your convenience.
- Set a timer for phone usage: You can set up a timer to monitor how long you are using your phone. You can, for example, set aside 15 minutes each day to check your phone.
