Problem-Solution - Mobile Addiction
Problem-Solution - Mobile Addiction
The most effective and instant way to control mobile phone usage is to turn off
notifications. Many people get distracted by the endless notifications they receive
from Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Shopee and other apps. We do not need
immediate updates of who has 'liked' us, 'followed' us or sent us a message. It is
because the more often we check our phone, the more it becomes an ingrained
habit. So switching off notifications will help us feel less compelled to use our phone
and thus prevent us from getting addicted to it.
Last but not least, limiting our checks of phone is an impactful measure to take. If
our habit is to check our phone every few minutes, we need to wean ourselves off by
limiting our checks to once every 15 minutes. Then once every 30 minutes, then
once an hour. The urge to check our phone comes in waves. When we feel like we
just have to check our phone, we can close our eyes and take a deep breath. Inhale
for three seconds and exhale for three seconds. The urge will usually disappear. If
the urge is still there, take another deep breath. We should then have the willpower
to return to our original task. This is a simple but powerful technique to help us
break our smartphone addiction by reducing the time and frequency of using our
mobile phone.