In the few years since the invention of smartphone technology in the early 1990s, the release of the first iPhone in 2007, and the first Android in 2008. By 2010, 35 percent of Americans owned a smartphone, according to Pew Research. These rates will rise, during the next 11 years, to 85%.
These are some numbers that show the “mass adoption” of phones over the past years.
However, the saying that Using your smartphone is an ‘addiction’ It may seem a little dramatic, according to the American “CNBC”. Especially since you probably use your iPhone or Android device as much as you spend time with your friends and family.
In her book, How to Break Up With Your Phone author Kathryn Price writes that the extent of these behaviors is exactly why they need to be examined.
“The fact that these behaviors and feelings are so universal doesn’t mean they’re harmless,” Price writes. “Instead, it’s a sign that the problem may be bigger than we think.”
If you want to know if using your phone can be classified as an addiction, there is a quick questionnaire you can take: the Smartphone Compulsion Test.
What is the “Smartphone Compulsion Test”?
The test was developed by David Greenfield, founder of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction and associate professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Connecticut College of Medicine.
It consists of 15 questions that are required to answer with a yes or no such as “Do you feel reluctant to be without your mobile phone or smartphone, even for a short period?” and “When you eat meals, is your mobile phone or smartphone always part of the table setting?”
The more positive responses, the more likely your behavior is to be compulsive. If you answered “yes” to more than five questions, Greenfield rates your smartphone use as “problematic”.
“The only way to get a score less than 5 on this test is to not own a smartphone,” says Price.
Why is smartphone use a problem?
The average American now spends nearly four and a half hours a day on their smartphone, according to recent data from Reviews.org.
This has fundamentally changed how we relate to each other. The presence of a smartphone can actually reduce the quality of our personal conversations with others. Heavy use of social media can lead to feelings of isolation.
According to Price, a 4-week plan might “get you off the phone”:
Week 1 – “Technology Sorting”:
During this week, you’ll start using tracking apps that will tell you exactly how much time you spend on your phone. You’ll also delete some of the most addictive apps, such as social media platforms, and set up certain controls aimed at preventing you from accessing your phone too much.
Week Two – “Change Your Habits”
After evaluating the problem, you can begin to change your behavior. Change where you charge your phone, set up an app blocker.
Week Three – “Reclaim Your Brain”
Price suggests a series of exercises that can help you relieve feelings of anxiety without using your phone. “Start meditating. Replace the time you might be spending on your phone with other activities, like listening to music, so even if the music is on your phone, you don’t have to actively look at the screen.”
Week 4 – “Your New Relationship and Beyond”
Finally, decide how you want to use your phone. Maybe you want to listen to podcasts but don’t want to use certain social media platforms like ‘Tik Tok’. Delete the apps you don’t want and check how to scan your phone accordingly.
