We are living in an age that is becoming increasingly mobile-connected. Mobile phones have evolved from tools primarily used for making calls and sending text messages to indispensable devices that serve various functions, including computing, banking, online shopping, virtual assistants, fitness coaches, personal physicians, news sources, and compasses. It has become a window for us to connect with the world’s ever-increasingly hectic pace.
Smartphone users unlock their devices 150 times a day on average, according to a Tech Jury smartphone addiction statistic. This shows how difficult it may be to break free from your phone addiction. As a generation that heavily relies on the internet for support to make ends meet, we are well aware of how addictive mobile devices could be. We are also aware of the tremendous mental struggle that is required to reap the benefits of our cell phones without succumbing to the purposeful seduction that is designed into our devices.
Cell phones are typically advantageous and helpful. But if not properly managed, these technologies can become a burden on us. We need to intentionally develop self-control on how we use mobile devices in order to avoid becoming addicted to them.
A researcher at Lagos State University, Benedette Ejie, noted that the majority of students attending Nigerian universities were moderate to severely hooked to smartphone use. She claims that even for the most basic of daily duties, students now rely on their smartphones. The majority of people who are sought after by communication technology are young adults. The increased number of students who own smartphones as a result of the competition between smartphone manufacturers to produce smart devices at lower prices has led to a significant increase in the number of students who own smartphones, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of smartphone addiction among students.
If you feel you have developed a smartphone addiction, the following advice may help you overcome the habit:
STOP CHARGING YOUR PHONE IN YOUR BEDROOM
Do not give in to the allure of plugging in your phone when you are sleeping, resist the urge to do so. This is one of the most successful methods for kicking a phone addiction or preventing one from developing in the first place, and it is one of the most effective methods overall.
By keeping your phone out of the bedroom, you can avoid many of the unfavourable outcomes that come with utilising it excessively. Some of these effects include a reduction in your capacity to be intimate with members of your own family or with close friends, as well as problems sleeping and difficulty speaking.
CREATE SPECIFIC TIME AS PHONE-FREE
If you find yourself idly scrolling through your phone in the morning and right before you go to sleep, you may want to think about replacing that activity with something that is more beneficial to your overall health.
You might want to try going without a screen for the first and last hour of each day in order to stop the habit of mindlessly scrolling through social media. You may train yourself to unwind at the end of each day by building a series of routines that you carry out first thing in the morning and right before you go to sleep at night. This will allow you to learn how to relax at the end of each day.
Make a vow with yourself that you would not check your phone until the following morning after you have completed your morning routine. Hence, before taking up your phone, you might exercise, read a book, write a schedule for the day in your journal, think, clean, or meditate. It may not be easy at first, but if you are constant and persistent, you will be able to avoid the negative effects of phone addiction.
BE FREE FROM DISTRACTIONS BY UNINSTALLING APPS AND TURNING OFF WEBPAGES
Figure out which applications are interfering with your ability to concentrate, and then get rid of them. For example, social media apps have the potential to be very addictive. As a consequence of this, removing the temptation to check social media sites such as Instagram and others can be highly useful in conquering or preventing phone addiction.
You can reduce the number of alerts that prompt you to pick up your phone by simply blocking notifications for work-related applications like Slack or email for a period of time that you choose. This will help you reduce the number of times that you have to pick up your phone.
IMAGINE THAT SMARTPHONES DO NOT EXIST
There was a time when phones were just phones, which is difficult to imagine today. Reduce the amount of time you spend looking at screens by switching to older versions of the apps on your phone. You should not rely on your cell phone as a clock; instead, you should invest in a watch or a traditional alarm clock.
Charge up your iPod before heading out for a run without your phone. It is good to take a break from the constant interaction of the internet. And putting down your smartphone is an even more engaging activity.
Research conducted by Andrew Obi at the University of Benin indicated that smartphone use is prevalent among students as a result of their growing popularity, which has led to excessive use in Nigeria. This excessive use has been reported to have a negative impact on student’s academic performance, as well as their physical and psychosocial health, causing symptoms such as neck stiffness, blurred vision, wrist or back pain, sleep disturbances, and decreased in-person social interaction.
In a nutshell, kicking your phone addiction and cutting back on how much you use it can have a lot of positive effects on your life. It enables you to enjoy decreased stress and anxiety, increased attention and productivity, more free time, more meaningful connections, enhanced critical reasoning and inventiveness, increased awareness, and other health benefits.
@ Punch Newspaper
