How to Break Up with Your Phone – Catherine Price
We might not realize it, but each time we compulsively check our phones, we’re programming ourselves to develop a technology addiction, one that can start innocently and derail our life in the long run. Let’s get rid of this!
The Problem With Multitasking
Studies show that the more we use social media, the less happy we become.
Humans are terrible at multitasking. Even those who believe that they are great at multitasking are not. Our brains can only process one cognitively demanding task at a time.
Multitasking is not only exhausting, but it also makes us unproductive.
Your Phone Is Changing Your Brain
Your brain is constantly changing, and your smartphone is accelerating the change. Through thought and practice, we can change the structure and function of our brains.
When we are using our phones, we are in a state of focused distraction, which is particularly good at creating long-lasting changes in our brains. Smartphones also limit our ability to focus and work on demanding tasks while limiting our working memory.
Week 2: Changing Your Habits
Day 8: Say no to notifications: Turn all notifications on your phone off except for calls and messaging.
Day 9: The life-changing magic of the tidying app: Tidy your apps based on two criteria: steal your time and improve your daily life.
Day 10: Change where you charge. If you charge your phone in the bedroom, change the location.
Day 11: Set yourself up for success: Create routines that make it easier for you to succeed in your endeavour.
Day 12: Download an app blocker.
Day 13: Set boundaries: Set no-phone zones
Day 14: Stop interacting with your phone if you are actively interacting with other people
Week 1 Of The Break Up: Technology Triage
This action plan should be spread out over the course of 30 days, divided into four weeks:
Day 1: Download a tracking app: A tracking app will tell you how many hours you spend on your phone
Day 2: Assess your current relationship with your phone.
Day 3: Start paying attention to how and when you use your phone.
Day 4: Take stock and take action: Look at the results of your tracking app.
Day 5: Delete social media apps.
Day 6: Come back to real life: Now that you have free time on your hands, find something that you always wanted to do and do it
Day 7: Start doing physical activities.
Putting the dope in dopamine
Designers manipulate our brain chemistry in ways that create addictive behaviours in order to maximise the amount of time we spend on our phones.
Many of the techniques they employ make use of a chemical known as dopamine. Dopamine is essential for motivation, and its release is what excites us.
Smartphones exploit the fact that dopamine is released in anticipation of a reward.
If your brain learns that checking your phone usually results in a reward, it won’t take long before your brain releases dopamine any time it’s reminded of your phone.
Selling our attention
Your attention is what gets sold on social media. Every moment we spend on social media is attention spent making money for someone else.
The unfortunate thing about this is that attention is the most valuable thing we have. In other words, we experience what we pay attention to.
The reason to break up
Despite our awareness of the dangers of certain types of technology habits, what harm could checking our phones cause?
- On average, Americans check their phones 47 times per day.
- Americans spend more than 4 hours per day on their phones.
- 80% of Americans check their phones within a half-hour of waking up, and many of them do so at night.
Week 3: Reclaiming Your Brain
Day 15: Stop, breathe, and be: When tempted to reach for your phone, stop what you are doing, take a slow breath, and feel what you are experiencing.
Day 16: Practice pausing: Practice pausing before you reach out for your phone.
Day 17: Exercise your attention span. Try to actively focus on something and see how long you can hold it.
Day 18: Meditate: Choose something like your breathing to focus on.
Day 19: Prepare to separate yourself from your phone for 24 hours.
Day 20 -21: Separate yourself from your phone for 24 hours.
Your Phone Can Lead To Deep Trouble
Several studies link heavy smartphone use to negative outcomes such as neuroticism, low self-esteem, depression, impulsivity, self-identity, empathy, and sleep issues.
Smartphones provide us with full internet access. And, unlike previous technologies, we always have them with us.
Smartphones and other digital products not only have neurological effects, but they are specifically designed to elicit them.
The sleep disruption problem
The blue light given off by your phone can wreak havoc on your sleep patterns.
Your brain needs to identify the absence of blue light in order to produce the sleep hormone melatonin. And because melatonin is what regulates your sleep cycle and tells your body to start winding down for the night, your entire sleep cycle can be disrupted by that last drowsy text you send from bed.
How To Take Back Your Life
The damage that smartphones do to our brains is reversible. You can improve your concentration, rebuild your attention span and improve your memories.
The first step to taking back your life is to practice mindfulness. Practice paying attention to how your cravings feel emotionally and physically and relaxing into them.
Once you’re aware of the motives behind social media platforms— namely, attention stealing and information gathering—you’ll begin to notice how these motives are incorporated into their designs.
The tricks of the trade
Social media apps rely on the power of intermittent reinforcements to keep users interested in their products.
Intermittent reinforcements are variable reinforcements that are constantly novel and unexpected.
Smartphones play on our fear of missing out (FOMO). They make it easier to learn about the things we are missing. And persuade us that the only way to stay current is to constantly check our phones.
The more you practice being mindful, the more it becomes obvious that your brain has a mind of its own
Paying deliberate attention to your moment-to-moment experience also gives you more fodder for memories that don’t involve your phone.
Week 4: Your New Relationship
Day 22: Trial separation recap: Reflect on your trial separation and see what you’ve learned.
Day 23: Phast: Practice turning your phone off occasionally.
Day 24: Manage your invitations. Stop, and meditate when you feel the urge to reach for your phone
Day 25: Clean up the rest of your digital life.
Day 26: Start being aware of why you are checking your phone.
Day 27: Experiment with taking breaks from your phone often.
Day 28: Create a plan to help you maintain a healthy relationship with your phone.
Day 29: Schedule a regular check-in with yourself.
Day 30: You made it!