How to disconnect your phone

JReham Dojoni got tired of seeing smartphones everywhere when he was living in San Francisco in 2014. So he decided to create device-free spaces for people like him: artists, educators, and anyone else longing for a digital break.

the result is YonderIt’s an actual way to break up at concerts, schools, courtrooms, and special occasions. If a traveling musician decides to use it, for example, ticket holders are notified in advance that when they arrive at the venue, they will drop their phone into the bag that locks when closed. Patrons keep this bag with them, but can only access their phones if they walk into designated sections away from the crowds. When they leave, the bags are opened.

“A lot of what we hear is that the show is better,” Dugoni says. Some people reported that after initially worried about losing access to their phones—a proud tip—the experience eventually proved liberating. “People are coming out saying it’s unbelievable not to see a single smartphone. There is more power, and it brings out everything.”

YONDR’s presence highlights a problem – people have practically integrated with their phones – and the need for solutions.

Research links smartphone overuse to a wide range of physical and mental health issues, including fatigue and heightened depression and anxiety. Our phones grab our attention, tempt us to drive and walk dangerously, and expose us to bullying and cyberbullying, says Adam Alter, professor of marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business and author of Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked.

There are also broader societal concerns. “I suspect [disconnecting] It matters to everyone,” says Alter. “It is important for children, who develop stronger social skills and relationships when they are not behind screens. It’s important for adults, who are more likely to connect with others when they spend their time offline rather than glued to their screens. This is important for communities experiencing poverty when their public spaces are filled with hundreds or thousands of people sitting in public spaces but spending time alone behind screens.”

Here’s what to know about the signs of smartphone addiction, its health effects, and the most effective ways to cut off contact.

Symptoms of phone addiction

Sticking to our phones 24/7 is not yet recognized as an addiction in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), despite the term being used colloquially. Instead, many experts in the field use the term “problematic smartphone use.”

“By problem, we mean that your smartphone use is interfering with different areas of your life,” says Jay Olson, a postdoctoral psychologist at McGill University who researched the topic. “It can interfere with your concentration. You may feel less social when using your phone. It could be because you sleep less, because you are spending time scrolling through your phone.”

Olson’s research is based on Smartphone Addiction Scale, which was developed in South Korea about a decade ago and is now used globally. Answer “Yes” to Questions like this It may indicate a problem:

• Are you missing planned work due to smartphone use?
• Are you impatient and anxious when you don’t hold your phone?
• Do you constantly check your phone, so you don’t miss what’s happening on social apps like Twitter or Instagram?
• Do people tell you that you use your smartphone a lot?
• Are you losing track of your device usage?

Problematic smartphone use It probably affects most adults in the United States, Anna Lempek, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University and author of The Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in an Age of Indulgence. “My sense is that it affects almost anyone with a device at this point. Digital content is very engaging, and we have easy access.”

Illustration by Brown Bird Design for TIME

How phone addiction affects physical and mental health

Phones are not inherently good or bad, says Dr. Jason Nagata, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. Our devices provide a lot of important functions, such as communication and communication, that can benefit our health. But not being able to detach from your screen may have adverse effects.

One of the biggest potential effects has to do with sleep. The researchers found Problematic smartphone use is associated with shorter sleep time, as well as lower sleep quality. “Blue light can suppress melatonin, which helps you sleep,” says Nagata. “And getting notifications, rings, or sounds all night long can disturb your sleep.”

Additionally, smartphone addiction can derail your time and attention, resulting in less spending on healthy activities. In 2021, adults all over the world spent An average of 4.8 hours a day on their phones, according to app monitoring company App Annie—a record number. “If people are spending a lot of time on their phones, it takes away time from other important activities, like exercise and socializing,” says Nagata. “It doesn’t leave a lot of free time in your day for physical activity or other things.”

Research indicates that smartphone use can be particularly egregious for teens and children. One 2021 study A co-authorship by Nagata found that screen time was associated with binge eating disorder between the ages of 9 and 10. “Teens can overeat even when they are not hungry when they are distracted in front of phones and screens, which leads to weight gain,” he says. 2021 other study It found that phone and texting use led to higher body mass index (BMI) and weight gain in adolescents, and 2022 تحليل Analysis Associations of phone use frequently with disruptive behavioral disorders, such as ODD, in children.

There are a myriad of mental health implications, too. according to reconsidering Posted in 2022, Smartphone Overuse — ie intensified during the pandemicIt can exacerbate anxiety and lead to psychological symptoms, stress and depression. last talk study concluded that problematic smartphone use is associated with suicidal ideation and even suicide attempts.

The question is always: chicken or egg? Lembke says. “Were they depressed and anxious and, as a result, spending more time with their devices, or did spending time online make them feel depressed and anxious? I would say maybe it’s a bit of both.”

Illustration by Brown Bird Design for TIME

How to disconnect your phone

You don’t have to sacrifice your device. Small changes can make a big difference. Experts recommend these research-backed strategies:

Boost your notifications

Disable the sounds and banners that flash across your screen, letting you know you have a new Facebook message, email, or TikTok video to watch. Instead, group them so that they all come at once, either every hour or less often. Search He points out that doing so can reduce stress. “It makes it less likely you’ll pick up your phone and get stuck in that whirlpool,” Olson says, as you browse without thinking without realizing that half an hour has passed.

Make it easier to access your phone

One of the best ways to disconnect from your phone is to get a physical distance from it. “Let’s say you have a small workstation at home — try keeping your phone behind you on the shelf,” Olson advises. A lot of our uses of the phone are frivolous, so “putting these little barriers in, like keeping it behind you, face down, can be effective.” He adds that keeping your phone in another room while you sleep is another particularly useful strategy.

Hide social media apps

Drag all your email and social apps into a single folder that doesn’t display on your home screen, so it takes a bit of work to open them, Olson suggests. Even better, delete them from your phone and only access them via your laptop, which can drastically reduce the amount of time you spend on them.

Make your phone more difficult to unlock

Instead of making use of convenient features like Face ID, use a passcode that you have to enter manually. The researchers found Having such a delay before reaching your phone can reduce usage.

Make a list

Before you pick up your phone, make a list of exactly what you want to accomplish with it: maybe check your email, find a dinner recipe, text some friends. After you pick it up, don’t do anything that isn’t on your list, Lembke suggests.

Set your phone screen to grayscale

Playing around with your settings can actually help drain all the color from your screen Reduce screen time and anxiety. “It makes the phone a little less attractive,” Olson says. “We’re kind of conditioned to click on those notifications, and when they’re in black and white, they’re less visible to us.”

Choose the old technology

Olson has always been slow to embrace technology; When smartphones first became popular in the early 2010s, he decided to hold out and see the effects before getting one. He’s used the iPhone SE, an older model of the device that debuted in 2016, for about five years. “I try to buy the smallest phone possible and then keep it for as long as possible,” he says. “It’s a bit hard to write on and it doesn’t have the best apps and updates – because that’s not exactly the life I want.”

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