There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that having a phone is a necessity in this digitalized era. Phones have a variety of futures that will allow individuals to communicate, get in touch with others, and even entertain ourselves with an endless amount of videos or passing the time with video games. Smartphones are so popular that there are around 3.5 billion smartphone users worldwide. This is not a surprise since it’s also used for a lot of essential daily tasks such as checking your bank account, knowing your current location, and taking photos and videos.
But even though phones are known for being important tools in our daily lives, most people are often too glued on their phones to notice what’s happening around them. In most cases, some users interact with their phones when they’re driving or crossing the street, which can often lead to dangerous accidents. Most experts would say that this abnormal behavior is often linked to phone addiction.
But what is phone addition? How do we mitigate phone addition, even when it’s such a useful tool? Here’s what you’ll need to know.
What Is Phone Addiction?
As the name suggests, this type of addiction is defined as someone that’s too attached to their smartphone. There will be times that we will use our phone, especially for work or for academic purposes. But when a person starts using their phone all the time and a good percentage of their attention is just on their phone, there’s a good chance that they are addicted to their phone.
Although this is caused by various factors that will ultimately vary depending on the motive of what the user uses their phone for. In some cases, people find comfort in their phones when someone is confrontational with them. Phone addiction is still a widely debated and studied topic ever since the older generation cellular phones started disrupting academic classes and workplace productivity.
In some cases, this is also tied to internet addiction. Most people get anxious knowing that they won’t’ be able to communicate with others. Most social media platforms and sites are geared toward dependence.
If this is the case, there are several ways of “diverting” this addition to something healthier and even more wholesome. Contrary to what most people think, you don’t necessarily need technology to have a good time. Here’s what you can do:
Personally Socialize with Others
Start replacing digital interactions that you have with others with face-to-face personal interactions. Even if you’re talking to family members and co-workers, interacting with others personally will help improve inter-personal relationships without having to rely on phones.
Suppose you’re looking for constant companionship and a sense of belongingness while keeping yourself busy. In that case, you might want to consider joining a movement or advocacy, such as a disciple-making movement, that will give you a group of friends you can personally interact with. One of the reasons why most people are stuck on their phones is that they are constantly looking for interaction and validation somewhere else. Instead of looking for validation through your phone, we can look for it by being with a wholesome and healthy group.
Moderating the Use of Your Phone
One of the most effective ways of stopping yourself from staring at your phone all the time is keeping a mental note that you are always on your phone, and it’s best to set aside time benign away from it. One good plan that you can do is to limit the use of your phone during the afternoon and early on in the evening since people will usually go on their phones at these times.
Go Without Technology for a Few Days
If you’re so overwhelmed by so many gadgets being around you and the fact that you’re getting so much information online, you might want to try “cutting yourself off” from the digital realm. It’s important to “detox” yourself by giving yourself an ample amount of time off these devices and social media platforms.
Not only will you be able to clear your mind from distractions, but this will improve your attention span and help increase your productivity for work.
Learn New Hobbies
Sometimes, you need to distract yourself from your phone by learning even more fun and engaging hobbies and interests. Want to learn a new instrument? Go swimming? Gardening? There are practically near-endless ways of entertaining yourself without the need for technology while still learning valuable life skills that you can use for the future.
Do Lifestyle Changes
Last but not least, you will need to make some lifestyle changes. Exercising is a great way of ensuring that your mind is on its feet while improving your well-being. You don’t necessarily need to have intense forms of exercise when you can do low-impact ones and still have a good time.
There are practically a lot of ways of removing your attention from your phone. You would be surprised at how much you can achieve in a day when you’re not too glued to our phones. Although there’s no problem in looking at your phone all the time, it’s important to start looking at it for what it is: a tool that you have to use.