Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone
By: Wang Yip
Tags: Attention, Smartphone Addiction, Focus, Time Management, Smartphones

Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Are you addicted to your smartphone? Consider the following:

Is the first thing you look at, and the last thing you look at during the day your smartphone?

Do you have put your smartphone in your pocket and feel phantom buzzing (you felt your smartphone buzz but when you go to check it, there were no notifications)?

Whenever you feel bored or you are waiting for something (waiting in line, waiting during traffic, waiting for your meal at the restaurant), do you pull out your smartphone without thinking?

Do you feel a sense of panic whenever you leave your smartphone at home accidentally?

You might have a smartphone addiction

A few years ago, I said yes to all these questions. I was looking at my smartphone in bed, upon waking up. I was checking my smartphone for messages and social media hits before going to bed. I often took out my smartphone thinking I got a notification, even though it was typically in silent mode. Once, I went to work without my smartphone, so I checked all of my social media feeds through the browser. And then, even though I knew I didn’t have my smartphone, I would reach for it in my pocket, thinking it was there, even though it wasn’t.

Do you want to do something about it?

Okay, so you think you might have a smartphone addiction. But what do you want to do about it?

One of my close friends is addicted to their smartphone. When I’m out having dinner with them, they are on their phone. While they are talking to me, they are also on their phone, browsing through social media or BuzzFeed articles. I have pointed this out to them frequently, however, they do not seem to get the message. That’s fine. If they think they can build a connection with others through their smartphone, that is wonderful. If they think they are learning valuable lessons on their smartphone that can help them with their work and life, that is super.

You might feel the same way. When you are looking at your smartphone, do you have a specific purpose?

Are you learning a new language?

Are you reading books, articles from your favorite author?

Are you checking and replying to work emails?

Are you keeping in touch with friends and family?

Or, do you browse through different feeds, not really caring what you read? Or maybe you’re looking at funny articles, just to not feel bored?

What can you do about it?

It’s time to take back your attention and focus. It’s time to get that time back from smartphone use and put it towards other valuable things in life, like spending time with family or exercising. I can’t tell you how to curb your screen time, but I can tell you what steps I’m taking to curb mine:

First, I installed an app on my smartphone that tracks my screen time. I used to think I didn’t use my smartphone very much until I tracked it and found I was spending 3–5 hours on my smartphone every DAY. Short notifications from friends led to browsing YouTube and Reddit, which then led to more random browsing. These short notifications added up! When you start to see how much you use your smartphone, you are painfully aware of how much time you are wasting. If I’m spending 3–5 hours on my smartphone, it better be for a reason other than “I watched funny cat videos”.

Second, I know many studies are showing how bad smartphone and screen time is late in the evenings. It affects your sleep time and sleep quality. Besides, I like and try to follow the framework that Robin Sharma provides in his book The 5 AM Club: he says no smartphones 3 hours after waking up, and 3 hours before bed. Why spend your most productive time, and your most relaxing time, on your smartphone?

Third, the next time you feel bored or feel you want to get a hit of dopamine from watching a clip from your favorite movie and reach for your smartphone, STOP. It is okay to feel bored. Recognize the urge or feeling you have. And then let that feeling or urge pass over you. I found when I did this, I slowly increased the time I went without my smartphone.

Fourth, have a day where you only use your smartphone when you have to (to make calls, to stay in touch with family, etc.). Neil Pasricha has an untouchable day with the same effect. The Minimalists suggest a screenless Saturday. I find Saturdays or Sundays good days to go screenless because I’m not working and I generally know what I’m going to do on those days ahead of time (whether it’s pre-arranged meals with friends, time at home, etc.)

Final thought

As I learned, the cure for smartphone addiction isn’t to go cold turkey and to not use the smartphone at all. That doesn’t work, especially because of how my smartphone (and likely yours) is tied in with work (emails), exercise (workout apps), social commitments (family and friends), and other things you can’t live without. The cure for smartphone addiction is the conscious use of your smartphone. When you pick up your smartphone, you have a specific purpose in mind. Maybe it’s to message a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Or perhaps it’s looking up some obscure trivia for your writing. Then, when you are done, put down your smartphone. Or if you are okay with spending free time on your smartphone scrolling through social media, set a time limit. It’s okay to spend 1 or 2 hours on your phone, but know when to start, and when to stop.

The conscious use of your smartphone is all I’m asking for.