How To Break Your Smartphone Addiction
When you’re having dinner, do you want to grab your phone and scan your emails, text messages, or social media? Is your smartphone the first thing you reach for in the morning after having a conscious thought? Do you feel like you can’t go too long without “checking” in and connecting on your phone? Guess what….you may have have a smartphone addiction.
In this post I wrote about my own addiction to the internet and information. It’s something I’ve been working on. Specifically, there’s something I’ve been doing to help me in this area. It’s free, and it’s quite simple.
Don’t carry your phone on you.
That’s the secret.
In the past, when I would get home, I would keep my iPhone in my pocket. Or if not in my pocket it would remain fairly close to me. That way, if someone messaged me on Facebook or Twitter, or I received an email or text, I could quickly receive the information and choose how to respond.
Now, when I get home, I simply leave my iPhone on my kitchen table. If someone calls me, I’ll hear it. But I won’t hear the vibration or *ding* if someone messages me. Or, at the very least, it will make it much more difficult for me to see it, since I’ll be tired and not want to get up from the couch.
So…that’s it. It’s something that’s been working for me, and so I pass it along to you. You’re welcome.
What about you? What do you do? Do you feel that you’re addicted to your smartphone?
[image by themacgirl]
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This post is great. I find when I am out, say having dinner with my wife, I tend to check it. She gets offended and she is right. There is nothing in my life that is so important that I cant stop for half an hour or an hour and focus on her.
At home its not so bad for me. I have an iHome alarm clock/charger. When I get home I just put it on that so its charged when I leave the house.
Although I love my gadgets it seems they can become a chain around my ankle if I am not careful.
No doubt. They’re can be flat out addictive….we do need to be careful.
Greetings from Apopka, bro!!
I really agree with everything on this post. I think we have become slaves of even the good things in life, like continual access to information. Something else you could do, if you want, is completely turn off any Facebook, Twitter or any other app notifications so you won’t ever hear the noise.
I’m the kind of guy that leaves his phone on the kitchen table but itches to check his phone when it vibrates with notifications of a message or a comment received. So I chose to turn off notifications, which also gives me way better battery life!
Anyway, keep writing. I’m loving all of the info!
Seba
Wow! That’s a really good idea. That seems like it would certainly do it, to turn off the notifications. Not sure if I’m quite that brave….but i’m thinking about it