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Breaking free from endless scroll: Regaining control of our digital lives


In today's fast-paced world, the act of scrolling through our phones has become an integral part of our daily routine. It's as if our days cannot be complete without the constant need to check our phones, laptops, or computers. The Internet has seamlessly woven itself into the fabric of our lives, making it nearly impossible to envision a world without it.


While the internet and social media have undeniably made our lives more convenient, they also come with their fair share of negative side effects. These digital platforms can alter our behavior patterns and influence our thought processes, sometimes in less-than-desirable ways.


A recent study revealed that approximately half of smartphone users spend an astonishing five hours a day on their mobile devices.


Interestingly, this trend is more prevalent in developing countries than in their developed counterparts.


It's a phenomenon we witness daily, but the question remains: What keeps users so glued to their phones?


Are all smartphone users genuinely productive, or do they all run online businesses?


The resounding answer is a firm "NO."




Let's delve into three common reasons why our brains are seemingly addicted to these devices:

FOMO

The Fear of Missing out, or FOMO, is a pervasive feeling that haunts many of us. It's the dread of being out of touch with the latest trends, internet gossip, and social media updates.

It will create a feeling of being away from the group. It will create a deep-rooted fear that people are doing something better without us.

For some, it might be anxiety, or sense of sadness, or a vague feeling. It comes from the desire to be a part of the group. It stems from the primal human need to belong to a group and the fear of exclusion.

Want to look busy





Can you remember the days before this smartphone? What are we doing to keep ourselves busy?

I remember people reading newspapers, and magazines, watching television, going out for an exhibition, or just starring on the road watching busy vehicles.

Back then, phones were only used for communication. If a person uses a phone, it means they have got work to do or just for having a conversation with their family or friends.

Now, phones have everything right from making calls, shopping, games, and learning new recipes. You name it, the phone has it. It almost has some sort of solution for most of our needs. Hence, it becomes obvious that we spend more time on phones.

Despite fulfilling all the use cases, people spend most of their time on smartphones just to look busy. When they want to switch off from the physical world, people turn on their smartphones just to make themselves look busy.

Phones keep us distracted

I know when I take my phone for a particular reason, I get distracted and end up doing something else. This is the worst part something or other in my phone is ready to pull my attention and I end up spending hours together.

No matter how much self-control you have, there are lot more in your phone to demand your attention. You require a laser light focus to save your time and attention.

Even if you are away from your phone, the notifications or the buzz from your phone will draw your attention. Your mind is curious to know something new, however, you already know that nothing is that important.

The problem is, if we take our phones to check the notifications, we end up distracted and spend time mindlessly for however long we let it happen.

The apps and the design are made in such a way as to keep us engaged inside our phones. You can get to know about this much better by watching the “Social Dilemma” documentary from Netflix.

In this documentary, you get to know about the experience of various professionals who are working behind the scenes. However, the interesting part is, that they even want their kids to use the app they are building.

The important reason why people spend more time on phones is it is distracting and keeps us engaged in all the ways possible. However, you should be mindful or else you might lose a bunch of time spent on smartphones Instead could be used in some useful ways.

Now enough of finding the reasons, let us explore the ways oh to avoid using phones so much,

Buy a dumb Phone

A basic phone is used for making calls or for texting. It has some basic games which might not be appealing to the technology crowd at present. It has no social media apps nor any fancy options like today's smartphones.

This is not a feasible option for all people. As today’s world revolves around technology, without smartphones is far from reality.

However, if you want a phone that does not demand your attention all the time, you can opt for this option.

You might feel weird initially, but I hope you can experience your 24 hours mentally present in this world. At least, without much distraction.

Keep your phones away

This is a common advice that we hear everywhere. But knowing when to keep the phones away will serve the purpose.

Some common scenarios are while having food, going to bed, doing, conversing with someone, an hour after you wake up, and an hour before you go to bed.

Keep your phone in another room so that it is not easily accessible at that moment.

Analyze your day, your activities, and routines to figure out other possible scenarios to be away from phones

Change your phone settings


No matter how far you try to be away from your phones, the urge in your mind will force you to take it. The best possible solution is to change your phone settings.

Turn off Notifications

Uninstall distracting apps

Set long password

Install apps that track your phone usage

Among all these suggestions, turning off notifications will single-handedly help you with this issue. Every time you see a notification, you get a dopamine hit in your mind to check the phone. One or the other event happens in the internet world every second to grab your attention. Just by turning safe, you might save an ample amount of time.

Put a rubber band around your phone

This is the craziest idea I have come across. When there is a band around your phone, you are mindfully reminded every time you use the phone.

Imagine a band around your phone, you can attend calls but for texting, scrolling is not easy. Every time you take your phone, ask yourself, “What is the intention of using the phone now?”.

This is a mindful exercise rather than just stopping you from using phones.

Scrolling has a great impact on our attention span. We are rapidly losing our focus and it's high time to take it in our control.


Comment down what steps would you take to stop your phone addiction.


 
 
 

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