Dealing with smart phone dependence

Smart phone dependence is a fact of life today. I wrote something about it earlier, you can read it by clicking here.

Since I am so dependent on my phone, it is very natural that I take it around with me everywhere I go. When I am away from home, it travels in a special easily accessible pocket of my handbag.

At home, I just carry it around or sometimes put it in my pocket. It was in my pocket when I bent down to pick up something and my phone crashed to the ground and broke its screen.

I was horror struck : I depended on my phone for so much ! Luckily for me, my phone was fixed in the record time of 48 hours.

The two days I spent without my phone were an eye opener. I realised how dependent I have become on my smart phone. So I devised a strategy to try and “wean ” myself away from my phone :

1. Use a real stop watch (rather than an app) to log your phone time.

We don’t realise how much time we spend on our phones. You answer a call and decide to check your notifications before you put your phone down. You start checking your e mail and your social media accounts. Before you even realise it, you have lost a lot of time.

A good idea would be to ration phone time especially for social media and net surfing. This time when measured on a watch, (preferably a stop watch or timer that you can set for a period of time) will help you keep a track of your phone use.

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2. Make sure you work with your hands for some time each day.

This could be some craft like needlework or knitting. It could be household chores like cooking, cleaning or gardening. Working on model airplanes or putting together challenging jigsaw puzzles is a good idea too.

For our screen addicted brains this kind of tactile stimulation is therapeutic

3. Turn it off

A good option is to turn your phone off for at least one to two hours each day. All your contacts should know that you will not be available during that time.This is easier said than done, but I am working on it.

4. Switch back to analogue for some tasks.

We are used to making lists and memos on our phones. Recording appointments and setting alarms or reminders on our phones has become second nature. Small wonder then that we are so “device dependent “.

A good remedy for this dependence is to do some tasks the old fashioned way. Make shopping lists, appointments and reminders on paper. Use a real alarm clock to wake you up. Use recycled paper a vintage alarm clock and you will be doing the environment a favour too.

5. Increase your RAM

A computer technician can incease your computer’s RAM (random access memory) for you. You can increase your own memory too. I found this really helful article on memory improvement, you can read it by clicking here.

A better memory means that you are less dependent on your phone. Lots of people advocate taking photos of things (such as the number of the car park aisle) with your phone so that you don’t forget them. If you have a good memory, you can store these images in your brain.

A smart phones is a  very useful thing. A camera, computer, digital assistant/electronic diary, and of course telephone, all rolled into one. What more could you want from technology?

Small wonder then that we are so dependent on our smart phones. But, like my primary school teacher used to say “Excess of anything is bad”. Smart phone use needs to be controlled before it takes control of our lives. 

What do you do to curtail your smart phone use ? Please share any tips you might have in the comments section below.

 

 

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