Today we are going to explore about leading a distraction free life with the help of the concepts discussed in the book "Digital minimalism" by Cal Newport.
Here you'll get to know about the causes of smartphone addiction and tips to break the cell phone addiction. I hope this blog will be a game-changer in your life.
Personally I had started to take control over my mobile and made technology to work for me to achieve my heightened state of acquiring knowledge.
Let's dive right in:
For many of us, starting from the morning and at the end of the night, we couldn't remember what we have done.
Because we are simply scrolling through Instagram and updating status on WhatsApp.
We could feel that our phone is taking control of us and not leaving us to achieve our goals in life.
This is why we call our mobile "DIGITAL ZOMBIES".
Our brain takes some time to rationalize the Good and bad things. For many of us, we are unknowingly getting addicted to our smartphones.
Hence we should clearly prioritize the day before what we are going to do the next day.
Many good benefits make things easier for people like promoting their business on social media, selling online, etc...
But it depends upon the user whether it is positive or negative to them. A big question is whether we use technology or technology to use us?
Have you ever noticed that you will be going to Instagram to reply to your friend's message, several hours later you'll wonder "Oh god! for what I came here and now what I am doing right now" Everyone has gone through these kinds of situations?
Many brilliant minds are working in silicon valley investing billions of dollars to understand us and make us spend our time in an app, website, or device.
They'll analyze human behaviors to make people addicted to that app or website.
Addictiveness to your phone is not only your weakness but is also the strength of the other person who makes you addicted to your device.
The author has clearly explained how silicon valley has developed various networks to create an app by understanding human behaviors and psychology.
I don't suggest you say NO to technology.
Instead, we are going to see many practical ways to tackle this phone addiction and use our time wisely.
NOTIFICATION:
It seems funny, right? But this small notification with a beep sound creates more impact in our brain.
According to our understanding, the apps are created by the app developers, right? But the truth is that these kinds of addictive social media are designed with the help of psychologists, human behavioral experts, etc...
Whenever you have received a notification and your phone beeps, You'll just open your smartphone to see it but it is one of the traps to gain your attention to a particular app or website.
Generally, Human beings used to think about their social ties when they were free, based on this instinct Social networks were developed.
Basically, people have a thirst for approval in society.
But social media companies use this behavior to use their app for a long time. Hence if someone tags you on social media, it will feel good to you.
Initially, the notification color on Facebook was in the combination of blue and white, But very few people used their app.
After noticing this, Facebook had changed its notification color to red. This is because the red color represents "alertness" according to human instinct.
Whether the notification is important or unimportant, we'll just click the notification. In my case, I don't like to see that red color notification.
To remove it I will be clicking the notification.
I hope this will be experienced by many of us in our lifetime. After clicking the notification many addictive contents will be waiting to distract us and use their app.
UNPREDICTABILITY:
Social media is unpredictable because we don't know what is going to happen, whether someone likes your photos or tags you somewhere etc...anything could happen.
Hence our brain will be more interested in using social media.
Whenever someone likes your photo on social media Dopamine hormone is released in our brain.
When the dopamine secretion spikes, it will stimulate cravings in us.
Watching a scary movie for the first time releases dopamine and watching the same movie again is not effective in producing dopamine because we know what is going to happen in the next scene.
In the case of social media, we can't predict anything like who will give you a friend request, comment on you, like your photos, what is going to be trending, who will see our post, etc...
Social media uses our curiosity to release dopamine in our brain, leading to addiction.
Tobacco companies want our lungs whereas Silicon valley needs our time, mental peace.
When human interaction decreases, our knowledge of understanding other humans also decreases.
Generally in this modern era starting a conversation is easy but we don't know how to end!. This should be accepted by us.
It should be accepted that whenever we are ending a conversation we send 4 smiley emojis and the other person also sends another 4 smiley emojis.
Again don't try to escape from this point, admit this mistake. This, not the correct way to end the conversation right. We should be confident to express our views.
But social media gives the easiest options such as emojis to choose from. Hence we'll keep on practicing this type of conversation.
But during face-to-face interactions, it will be very difficult to hold or carry a conversation.
This modern generation is the only generation in history to enjoy the beautiful experience of solitude, Hence we don't know about ourselves.
If we are in solitude(without a phone), we have a chance to explore ourselves. But our interests, character, personality everything is collected by data, apps, etc...which are created by social media companies.
“Conversation enriches the understanding, but solitude is the school of genius”
- Edward Gibbon
PRACTICAL WAYS TO REDUCE SMARTPHONE USAGE:
If you say "No, I am not addicted to the phone", you're wrong. You are unknowingly addicted to your phone!
Here are the important steps to take control of your smartphone.
- The toughest technique suggested by the author is to take a break from technology and we should strictly follow this for a 30 days break. When you are introducing technology back again, Decide what you are going to prioritize from technology like uninstalling useless apps and only using more important apps on your phone. Set timing to use apps and social media...
- Schedule tech and phone-free hours. Just go for a walk because it makes you feel good and will stimulate your brain's Creativity.
- Use digital wellbeing in your phone to set timings to apps and spend your time productively.
- Use DND (DO NOT DISTURB) option to disable calls and notifications in the nighttime or whatever time you want according to you.
- Use a watch or Click to know the time. (A common reason for start using our phone)
- Turn off notifications of unwanted apps importantly from social media.
- Restrict the usage of phones for simple Tasks. For example, if you want to do some math calculations, donate your phone instead do it in a note.
- Schedule a specific time to return calls and reply to messages. Have you ever experienced someone calling or messaging you and you see that after a week or month and become very anxious about what to text /call and speak to them? To handle this situation, Segregate a specified time to reply to messages and calls, emails, etc...
- Use your hands for more physical work rather than texting, clicking, and scrolling.
- Use your fingers to write instead of typing, drawing, repairing, etc... to stimulate brain function. But now "Insta neck syndrome" and "PUBG thumbs" are very common problems among the young generation😉
- Schedule time for cheap leisure activities. Life will get boring when we are always strict and trying to be perfect people. To relax our mind, spend a particular time on Leisure activities such as watching movies, TV channels, gaming, etc...
- Spend more time outside the virtual world
- You would have many friends on Instagram or any other social media but your true friends are quite a few. So try to be involved in the physical world.
- Do nothing once in a while. Doing various activities will activate different parts of our brain. Even doing nothing for a particular period of time also activates specific parts of the brain.
- Be strict about choosing who is worth your time.
"You are the average of the 5 people who spend the most time with"
- Jim Rohn
CONCLUSION:
Technology is intrinsically neither good nor bad. The key is using it to support your goals and dreams, rather than letting it use you.
This book will show the way and I hope this blog will create an immense impact in your Life.
What triggers you to use your smartphone?
Let others know by reading your comments below.
Meet you in the next blog until spread positivity and stay connected❣️