How To Cure Phone Addiction

Designed To Be Addictive

How I Cured My Phone Addiction

Access to a smartphone can make life easier by making information accessible. Still, the convenience comes at a price. The devices are carefully designed to be hard to put down. Through its colors, sounds, and vibrations, the technology purposely keeps its users engaged. According to former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris, features like pull to refresh were inspired by slot machines and other casino games. Designers and engineers meticulously develop every aspect of the device to create fanatical users.

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Poor grades
Psychological disorders

Chronic phone use can also cause other physical dysfunctions, like GABA dysfunction and a loss of grey matter in the brain, which are highly correlated to substance use disorders.

GABA Dysfunction

Chronic phone overuse is proven to change reward circuits in the brain chemically. One of the primary affected neurotransmitters is gabapentin . GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that produces a calming or euphoric effect. It can even control fear and anxiety. The inhibitor plays a significant role in addiction by rewarding substance use and reinforcing addictive behaviors.

Suicide

How To Stop Phone Addiction Using 9 Tips

If you want to learn how to stop phone addiction, do not try to go all guns blazing all at one. Your mind will have a hard time staying away from the phone completely. Start implementing these tips one at time or in smaller portions.

1. Stop accessing your phone in specific time slots

If you stick to your smartphone like the bees stick to honey, you might find it impossible to stay away from notifications or putting your phone on mute. If a complete DND is too drastic a step for you, start keeping your phone away for a few hours.

Start with 1 hour where you put your phone aside. Either put it in a drawer or your bag or anyplace away from your line of sight. Not only should you not be able to see your phone, but you also should not be able to hear a buzz or the light from the screen when a notification sounds. Your phone should not call for your attention until you pick it up.

The farther away you keep the phone from your access, the easier you will find to resist the urge.

2. Put your phone on DND

When you hear your phone beep at a distance, you feel the urge to check your phone. Maybe you decide not to check your phone right now. Yet, you still hold the thought in your head that you have a pending notification to check.

Resisting the urge to check a notification is no easy feat. Your best defense to avoid using the phone too much is to cut as many notifications as possible. Using DND yields great results.

3. Put your groups on mute

4. Turn off read receipts

At What Point Does Reliance On And Use Of Cell Phones And The Internet Turn Into An Addiction What You Can Do To Help Your Kids Avoid Developing An Addiction

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Its no big secret that teens have a complex relationship with technology. They are expected to use technology both in and out of the classroom to make the grade, they manage their social lives through various apps and social media platforms, and they use technology to stay organized and on top of their many, many activities. Todays teens face intense levels of pressure. Sometimes their phone use is tied to recreational activity and can help them relieve stress, but other times they use their phones to keep up with their busy lives. Ensuring that kids technology use doesnt result in more stress for them isnt an easy task theres no clean-cut way to delete stressful technology activity. So how can parents, let alone kids themselves, navigate the often stressful world of tech?

Although there isnt a recognized smartphone addiction diagnosis, its natural for parents to wonder if a teens apparent obsession with a smartphone qualifies as addictive behavior. After all, it can be incredibly frustrating to attempt to hold a conversation with someone when they cant peel their eyes away from their phone.

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Archive And Delete Old Chats

Another great way to avoid excess Smartphone usage is to archive or delete old chats. You can even mail the chats to your email first in case you want to save important messages. This process will take a few minutes but it will be time well spent which can go a long way in overcoming Smartphone addiction by reducing time you spend on the phone, contacting old contacts etc.

The Latest Smartphone Trends

How to cure smartphone addiction? All eyes on their mobiles, texting or watching a film. This is a common sight for most of us, whilst travelling , in the malls and even while dining at restaurants. Its the scary truth!! How does one break free? Has anyone heard of a mobile detox? Well, let me share some more information in this post

In our digital-centric world, the first thing we wake up to, are the notifications on our smartphones. Totally quitting usage of mobile phones will be a difficulty but definitely can be restricted. Once youre back to the start of the work week, youll need to use your phone and computer. But no matter what your age or occupation may be, there are a few ways everyone can unplug throughout your workday:

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The Who What When Where Why Method

And thats the Who What When Where Why Method for moderating behavior, as it applies to a phone addiction.

Remember, this is fully customizable, so feel free to mix and match these different strategies to form the best system for you.

Now, Id like to share several other tips that have really helped me use my phone less often.

The Impact Of Teen Social Media Addiction On Mental Health

During the teen years, the brain is still under construction. The teen brain is more vulnerable to things that could lead to an addiction, like video games and social media. A recent study explains how the reward system in the teenage brain works.

It shows the same type of dopamine release in response to social media likes as one might have to a drug. The study also points out that the teen will show withdrawal symptoms, like irritability and anxiety. This happens when they are not allowed to use their cell phone or social media.

But anxiety and depression in themselves can be a result of too much cell phone use. Studies show that teens that spend large amounts of time on social platforms suffer from higher levels of mental health issues. This is due to the time spent on social apps, which can fuel low self-esteem, body dysmorphia, and bullying.

Also, excess time on smartphones means a lack of in person contact with friends and family. Face-to-face time is traded off for huge amounts of time chatting online with strangers. These interactions are shallow and do not lead to any real human connection. Over time, this can result in feelings of loneliness and depression.

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Who: Limit Based On Who You Are With

The idea here, is to avoid using your phone around certain people.

Start, by making a no phone allowed list and write down the people you dont want to use your phone around.

Pick whoever makes the most sense for you. It could be a roommate, a family member, a significant other, or whomever.

And then whenever you are around that person or those people, dont allow yourself to check your phone.

You could also avoid using your phone around ALL people, and only use your phone when you are by yourself.

There are 3 benefits to the Who strategy:

Easy to Remember: It is a really simple way to cut back your phone usage that you can easily remember.

Builds a Habit: By anchoring your phone restriction to a person , over time you will start to form a habit, and whenever you see them your brain automatically associates that as no phone time.

Accountability: Finally, if you wish, you can even have people on your no phone allowed list hold you accountable. That is, if they see you checking your phone around them, you give them permission to point it out to you.

If you have trouble following through with this strategy, consider putting your phone away or turning it off when you are with the people on your list.

This method is great if you are someone, like me, whose phone can affect your ability to be in the present moment with people you live with or see regularly.

Of course, if you are alone most of the day, this may not be as relevant to you.

It Actually Is Possible To Go To The Bathroom Without Your Phone Who Knew

How to stop/ cure phone addiction: the root cause revealed!

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Smartphones are pretty amazing. But when your grandmother tells you to put your phone away at the dinner table, maybe you should listen to her.

Smartphone addiction is a real thing! We obsessively check our smartphones when were talking, working, walking, and driving, even though we know we shouldnt. We just cant help it! But you know what they say: recognizing you have a problem is the first step to fixing it, so congrats on reading this far. Here are 10 tips you can use to help you kick your smartphone addiction, reclaim your place in the real world, and possibly even venture outside without a phone glued to your hand .

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Change Your Phone Settings

Among the most often suggested ideas for reducing cell phone usage, you find tips and tricks by simply changing the settings on your phone.

The most common suggested ideas:

Turn off notifications
Remove distraction-based apps from your home screen
Set a longer passcode
Use airplane mode
Turn on do not disturb

In my opinion, turning off notifications is something everyone should do regardless of how habitual their cell phone use is. Just because someone in the world wants to text you, email you, or tag you in a post on Facebook doesnt mean they deserve your attention. My cell phone screen is not currently set to grayscale, but I have found that setting helpful in the past.

Keep Yourself On A Schedule

The most basic step that Rosen suggests for weaning yourself off your phone is literally setting alarms specifying how often you can check it. Start with every 15 minutes, then move to every half hour, every 45 minutes, or every hour. When your alarm sounds, spend one minute going through any and all notifications and then reset the timer.

To reduce response-anxiety and hold yourself accountable, Rosen suggests telling close friends or family that you may not be responding to their messages as quickly as you used to.

Teen Cell Phone Addictiona Behavioral Disorder

The clinical community defines cell phone addiction as a behavioral disorder. Such a disorder means obsessive use that affects everyday functioning. Like any addiction, once triggered, it can be quite difficult to stop.

Cell phone addiction goes beyond actually using the phone to talk. Talking on cell phones is less common among teens than adults. Teen smartphone addiction includes repetitive, compulsive use of the device for other activities. Such behaviors are perfectly normal in moderation. They become dangerous when tied to an obsessive compulsion.

Regular smartphone use can descend into cell phone addiction. As a result, these behaviors get in the way of being part of the real world.

Teenage Cell Phone Addiction Disrupts Family Time Social Time And Study Time

Cell Phone Addiction: What Is It And How To Treat It

For a teen, having a cell phone is like being a kid in a candy store. With app stores offering a never-ending array of options, it is easy to see how teens get addicted to their phones. By design, software companies have found ways to draw people into their digital products, including teens.

Social media apps, and there are many, gobble up the most time among teens. Teens are on these social apps for several hours a day. Data show that teens spend about 3 hours a day on social media. An astounding 20% of teens are on these social platforms for more than 5 hours a day. On average, teens are on their phones about 7 hours per day.

Smartphone addiction is very real. When teens use the apps, they will receive a dopamine hit that gets logged in the brains reward system. This leads to the teen spending ever more time on their phones, as the behavior gets continually reinforced. Keep reading to learn more about teen cell phone addiction and what can be done to curb the problem.

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Prevention To Avoid Cell Phone Addiction

Cell phone addiction creates a bad impact in the overall living structure of an individual. The simple ways to prevent cell phone addiction are:

Turn off your phone to the maximum extent.
Remove those excess apps which disturb you or provoke you to use the smart phone more.
One of the weirdest habits found in youngsters is using phones even in the bathroom. Keep the bathroom cell phone free.
Do not keep your cell phone in the bedroom as much as possible.
Stop caring about your cell phone. Instead care for people.

Going On A Cell Phone Diet

1Monitor your cell phone use. According to one study, college students may spend 8-10 hours per day on their cell phones. XResearch source Tracking your cell phone use such as adding up how many times per hour you check your phone can increase your awareness about your problem. XResearch source If you are aware of the extent of your problem you can begin to identify goals and possible solutions.

Try downloading an application that tracks your cell phone use like Checky, App Off Timer, or QualityTime.XResearch source You can use this information to set a specific goal of how many times per hour or day you allow yourself to check your phone.

2Create a plan for your phone use. Limit your cell phone use to certain times of the day. You can set an alarm on your phone to alert you when you have reached your maximum time. For example, you can allow yourself to use your phone only from 6pm-7pm. You can also set up specific times not to use your phone, such as while you are at work or school. XResearch source

Write your plan and goals down to make them more concrete. Keep a log of which goals youâve met and ones you are still working on.

4Start slow. Instead of going cold turkey and completely eliminating your cell phone use , begin by progressively reducing the amount of time you spend checking your phone. XResearch source For example, start by limiting the amount you check your phone to once per 30 minutes, then once per 2 hours, as so on.

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Set Aside One Day/week

This is, by far, the most common approach I see among people who have taken intentional steps to curb their cell phone habit nowadays. But I credit Tammy Strobel for being the first person I heard talk about italmost ten years ago. Choose one day each week and set your phone aside. Thats it, make a habit of it.

What Are Signs Of Teen Cell Phone Addiction Symptoms

How to Cure Smartphone Addiction?

As with other behavioral addictions, there will be certain signs the teen displays. Signs of a teenage cell phone addiction might include:

Teen cannot carry on a live conversation.
Teen is always scrolling and clicking around on their phone.
Teen is not able to be without their phone, even for a few minutes.
Teen shows signs of depression the more they are on their phone.
Teen becomes obsessed with selfies and their social feels.
Teen is having sleep problems.
Teens grades drop, due to reduced time for studying or homework.

Parents might want to think about having a digital time out, where all phones are shelved for a day or a weekend. Taking a break from the cell phones will do the whole family a lot of good.

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What Is The Symptoms Of Cell Phone Addiction

The symptoms shown by a person during cell phone addiction may be terrible. Some of the symptoms of cell phone addiction are as follows:

Anger, tension, depression, irritation, restlessness when cell phone network is low or battery is low.
Putting relationship at risk due to cell phone use.
A need to use cell phone more and more often for the same use.
Digital eye strains, discomfort associated with viewing a screen.
Neck problems due to excessive use of cell phone.
Male infertility due to radiation.
Lack of interest in other activities and hesitating to interact with people.

Helping A Child Or Teen With Smartphone Addiction

Any parent whos tried to drag a child or teen away from a smartphone or tablet knows how challenging it can be to separate kids from social media, messaging apps, or online games and videos. Youngsters lack the maturity to curb their smartphone use on their own, but simply confiscating the device can often backfire, creating anxiety and withdrawal symptoms in your child. Instead, there are plenty of other ways to help your child find a healthier balance:

Be a good role model. Children have a strong impulse to imitate, so its important you manage your own smartphone and Internet use. Its no good asking your child to unplug at the dinner table while youre staring at your own phone or tablet. Dont let your own smartphone use distract from parent-child interactions.

Use apps to monitor and limit your childs smartphone use. There are a number of apps available that can limit your childs data usage or restrict texting and web browsing to certain times of the day. Other apps can eliminate messaging capabilities while in motion, so you can prevent your teen using a smartphone while driving.

Create phone-free zones. Restrict the use of smartphones or tablets to a common area of the house where you can keep an eye on your childs activity and limit time online. Ban phones from the dinner table and bedrooms and insist theyre turned off after a certain time at night.

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