All articles tagged with #phone addiction
The article discusses the rise of 'bricking' your phone using a device called Brick, which physically blocks apps to help reduce screen time, especially among Gen Z. This trend reflects a broader movement towards digital detoxes and phone-free lifestyles, with Brick gaining popularity as a balanced tool for those seeking discipline without complete disconnection.
The article offers practical advice on changing our relationship with smartphones by focusing on mindful usage, setting boundaries, engaging actively on social media, taking regular breaks, and involving children in healthy tech habits, emphasizing that controlling phone use is achievable through habit modification rather than complete abstinence.
A social media manager shares how a device called 'Brick' helped her break free from doomscrolling, despite her understanding of social media's addictive nature and believing she had control over her screen time.
The author removed all social media and non-essential apps from their phone, leaving only calls and texts, which significantly improved their mental clarity, sleep, and ability to connect with others, demonstrating the benefits of reducing digital distractions.
The author shares how a $59 magnetic device called 'Brick' helped him significantly reduce his phone usage by physically blocking access to certain apps, highlighting the effectiveness of simple, behavioral interventions over complex digital detox solutions, and questioning industry-driven approaches to managing screen time.
The article discusses the pervasive influence of smartphones on our brains and attention, the trend of returning to simpler 'dumbphones' like flip phones and BlackBerrys, and offers strategies for renegotiating our relationship with technology by creating intentional moments away from phones, emphasizing that it's more about changing habits than just willpower.
The Guardian has launched a new newsletter, Reclaim your brain, to help people spend less time on their phones, with expert coach Catherine Price discussing the science behind our relationships with our devices and how to break the cycle, and Prof Barbara Sahakian of Cambridge University explaining the draw to bad news on phones and its impact on us.
Members of the 'Ask Reddit' community shared a variety of bad habits that many people have, ranging from lacking basic etiquette like standing in the way or chewing with their mouths open, to more peculiar habits like nasal spray addiction. Other habits mentioned include getting offended by mistakes or personal preferences, being constantly glued to phones and social media, insulting others to compensate for insecurities, and not following through on plans.
Addiction to phones and their apps is real and can have negative effects on health, including dopamine addiction, nomophobia, sleep deprivation, and overall poor health. The more time people spend on their phones, the more they need novel content to keep them hooked on the dopamine provided by the apps. This has created an "attention economy" where companies fight for users' attention for profit, at the expense of addiction and health. Searches for "cell phone addiction" have been rising since 2004, and smartphone users receive 427% more messages and notifications than they did a decade ago.