Remember when your cell phone was almost the size of a brick and had a giant antenna sticking out of it? At that time, we were all concerned about the radiation that might be coming off the transmitter in the cell phone. There was talk about cell phones causing brain tumors. 

These days, it’s less about brain tumors and more about the phone just sucking up all of your spare time and in the process, alienating you from your family and friends. 

According to seattletimes.com,
‘Many of the apps and algorithms in your pocket are designed to steal you away from the rest of your life. The typical American spends six hours per day on their phone, according to a peer-reviewed study of 10,000 U.S. adults. That’s roughly 15 years of continuous screen time over a lifetime.’ 

Studies show that approximately half of Americans feel that they use their cell phone too much. In ages under 30, it’s up to 80%.  

What is the cause?  

Apps. (What else) App developers spend all of their time trying to figure out how to keep you hooked onto their app and using it continuously. The more you use their app, the more money they make. The more you scroll. The more they make. The more videos you watch. (You guessed it), the more they make. 

We’re talking about borderline addiction here, and the tech companies are the pushers. So how do you wean yourself off of this digital drug? 

You need to practice digital hygiene. 

Retrain your brain to do without your device two or three times each day.  

Consciously place yourself in environments where you don’t depend on your device. 

Prepare yourself to be uncomfortable from time to time. Our digital devices can be an emotional crutch, learn to step away from it. 

Learning to reduce your dependence on your cell phone feels difficult at first. But the more you work at it. The easier it gets. Then you find your connecting with people. And not texts. 

Things you can do. 

Find something better than a screen to occupy your time. 

People who consciously limit their screen time said they had better attention spans, a better sense of well-being, and felt healthier mentally. 

Set firm limits and goals. 

There are apps out there. (I know this is counterintuitive) that will help you to limit your Screen time. There are app timers out there that will limit access to Facebook or disconnect you from the Internet completely. 

Make it more difficult to use your device. 

I know, why would I do that? Because it gives you incentive to disconnect. You can mute the color on your screen, turn down the volume of your ringers, and notifications. Hide social media apps and folders, so you have to do a more conscious search to find them. Make passwords longer and more complex. 

Have places or periods of time in your home where devices just don’t come out. Certain times of the day when you don’t use your device, specific times when the phone rings, you just don’t answer. 

Find something to do that’s better than playing with your phone. 

Play an instrument, take up a hobby, listen to music, read a book, I like to go to movies. 

When was the last time you left to go to work, got halfway there and realized you forgot your phone, then turned around and went back. 

Next time, just keep going.

Telephones