These addiction statistics are quite overwhelming:
- The typical cell phone user touches his or her phone 2,617 times every day. 2,617 times!
- Most people, on average, spend 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phones each day.
- Half of all phone pickups happen within 3 minutes of a previous one.
And the impact of this usage is staggering:
- Reducing the quality of conversations.
- Adversely impacting short-term memory and problem solving.
- Negatively affecting our sleep patterns.
- Resulting in more negativity, distress, and less emotional recovery in young children.
- Increasing obesity.
- And the positive correlation between smartphone addiction and depression is alarming.
You would think, given the statistics and what we know to be true about cell phone usage, it would be easy to put down and walk away. But I can attest the technology addiction struggle is real.
As a parent of two who makes his living online in this modern world, I know full-well the addictive nature of mobile devices and how great the internal battle is to harness the benefits of our smartphones without falling prey to its intentionally addictive design.
Nor do I miss the ironic fact that many of you are reading this very article on your phone.
Phones are good and helpful… you are able to read this article right now because of it. But we know all too well they also have the potential to become a negative presence in our life if we allow them.
So how do we keep cell phone usage in proper alignment with our lives? What are some tools or ideas to help us cut down on our cell phone usage?
Here is a list of seven I have used myself or learned from others:
7 Proven Ways to Break Your Cell Phone Addiction
1. Set aside one day/week.
This is, by far, the most common approach I see among people who have taken intentional steps to curb their cell phone habit nowadays. But I credit Tammy Strobel for being the first person I heard talk about it—almost ten years ago. Choose one day each week (usually a Saturday and Sunday) and set your phone aside. That’s it, make a habit of it.
2. Use a 30-Day Experiment to reset your usage.
For me personally, this has been the most helpful way to break my cell phone habit. My cell phone use, when not intentionally limited, tends to take over more and more of my free time. It happens unintentionally and quietly—I don’t even seem to notice it happening.
Seven years ago, I gave up my smartphone for Lent and used it only for calling and texting (no other apps allowed—even maps and photos). It was a 40-day period of reset that helped me align my usage with more important pursuits in life. Since that first experiment, I have used the 30-day reset two additional times—each with great success.
3. Use apps to bolster self-control.
There are apps for almost every problem in life. In fact, there are even some wonderful apps built to help us limit our time on our devices. Here are some of my favorites:
Space. Set goals and track your daily progress to manage your habits.
Forest. ($1.99) Stay focused, be present. Forest is a beautifully designed app that brings gamification to productivity and results in real trees being planted based on your personal phone use habits.
Flipd. Lock away distracting apps for complete focus.
Screentime. Set daily usage limits on your phone or specific apps.
4. Don’t charge your phone near your bed.
Want to know the best way to keep your kids off their phones too much? Don’t allow them to charge their phones in their bedroom.
Want to know a great way to keep yourself off your phone? Don’t charge it in your bedroom.
Many of the negative effects of overuse (poor sleep, hindered communication and intimacy) can be eliminated by keeping your cell phone out of your bedroom. As with many of the items on this list, this is a principle I’ve found personally helpful.
5. Put your phone away when you walk in the door.
Christopher Mims writes a weekly technology column for The Wall Street Journal—a job that certainly requires the use of tech on a consistent basis. His simple and proven way to keep life in healthy balance with his cell phone is to put it in a kitchen cabinet at the end of the workday. In his words, “The more you physically remove the phone, the more you can build a habit of having some ability to ignore it when it’s on your person.”
When you finish your day of work, put your phone in a drawer or cabinet. This is a helpful practice for all people, but I think it is especially important if you have kids or a spouse at home in need of our undivided attention.
6. Change your phone settings.
Among the most often suggested ideas for reducing cell phone usage, you find tips and tricks by simply changing the settings on your phone.
The most common suggested ideas:
- Turn off notifications
- Set screen to black-and-white
- Remove distraction-based apps from your home screen
- Set a longer passcode
- Use airplane mode
- Turn on do not disturb
In my opinion, turning off notifications is something everyone should do regardless of how habitual their cell phone use is. Just because someone in the world wants to text you, email you, or tag you in a post on Facebook doesn’t mean they deserve your attention. My cell phone screen is not currently set to grayscale, but I have found that setting helpful in the past.
7. Put a hairband around your phone.
In one of the most thoughtful personal stories I’ve ever read on how to overcome cell phone addiction, Brad Soroka recommends placing a hairband around your cell phone. When placed in the middle of the phone, the hairband allows users to answer phone calls easily, but makes other uses of the phone more difficult (including simple texting).
In his words, “Every time you want to use your phone, this brings about a mindfulness exercise and makes you ask ‘what is my intention?’ If you really want to use the phone, set your intention for why, and remove the hair band.”
The hairband trick is not about making your phone impossible to use. The practice is about bringing greater mindfulness to each specific use of it… as opposed to mindlessly unlocking your phone every 3 minutes.
When used as a collection of tools to improve my work, health, parenting, and life, cell phones are wonderful and bring countless benefits. But when used mindlessly and unintentionally, they become a distraction from the things in life that matter most—in addition to the negative effects listed above.
Learning how to use our smartphones effectively may be one of the most important life skills any of us can learn.
pocketlinux says
I have an old phone but my fast smartphone is the movement
pocketlinux says
I have an old clock radio next to my bed, And, I don’t play games. I try to have a book around so I have something to read. I’m not into the social one-upmanship of talking about which level I’m on while playing a solitary game with people
Jeannine says
I am happy for you but what does this have to do with this article?
nunya says
lol get outta here
Natalia says
I spend a lot of my time playing games on my mobile phone. How can I stop myself from this habit?
Paulos says
Read the Bible
Pray the deliverence prayer 4 self.
Bless n surrender urself b4 u touch.
Go for confession
Sit b4 the blessed sacrament
God bless you
Skye says
Dude. Not everyone is religious. It’s like if you were struggling with something terrible you did, and I said, “Well, just stop believing in God!” I respect all people, no matter their religion, race or beliefs—but when you try to force your ways upon others without asking, I personally think that that is incredibly rude. I know you didn’t say that to me specifically, but I want to let you know that most people find it extremely irritable when you do things like that.
Mister says
“Respect.” “Force.” “Most people.”
How would one “ask first,” in one-shot public comments? Did you ask first before forcing your ways upon the previous comment?
gfkjnv , says
just break ur phone ye
Anonymous says
10/10 cost efficiency, completely recommend.
Francesca says
Try exchanging it for another habit. It could be anything you like, including: reading, writing, walking, painting, baking, playing physical games, etc.
Thomas says
All cost money I don’t have people with money aren’t on their cell phones probably because they can travel go on vacations to places you get what I’m saying and you can say I’m wrong but if I had money that’s what I would do travel . Wouldn’t be on my phone
Koni says
We spend $28 per month for 2 phones with unlimited calls and texting. Cheap way to keep in touch with those we love. Also helpful for the numerous nights when pain keeps sleeping far away. I play card games. Helps keep my mind occupied…when pain will not allow reading as a choice
Emily Marx says
May I inquire what fone co. Charges such reasonable rates ?
Dave says
Change your perspective. Cook some food, buy some cheap wine, go on a walk, check out your local music stores, antique shops. Go to the beach, lake, park, you don’t have to consume all the time many of these leisures are being forgotten. I remember I had a date with a woman we made pizza from scratch cost me less than 20$. The perspective is what needs changing in many post modern “problems”
Paula Lawson says
You don’t need to have money to find other things to do besides staying on your phone.
Things do do that are free:
Go for a walk
Sit outside on a nice day and enjoy nature
Work crossword or other puzzles (on paper, not digitally)
Check out books from the library and read them
Meet a friend at the park and bring a picnic lunch. Enjoy just talking to them
Volunteer to help at a homeless shelter, food bank, church, school, etc.
Call a friend or family member and have a conversation, invite them over for a meal.
Things that cost very little:
Find a hobby you enjoy: knitting, embroidery, painting, drawing, whittling wood, collecting stamps or coins, teach yourself to juggle, start a vegetable or flower garden, take up chess, find activities or classes through your community centers, scrapbook, learn origami. Both of these lists are just the tip of the iceberg.
Using the excuse that you can’t travel so you have to stay addicted to your phone is a cop out.
D says
I’d say either uninstall them or use one of those apps that limit use of other apps
Nell Teagarden says
I found the hairband Becker mentions to be the key if u truly want to take your life & time back. = visual reminder !
2nd). Have a list of 3 things on the back of your fone under the rubber band =
Activities that u love to do and miss in your life.
Next step very important:
Set up the activity needs somewhere so you’re all ready to dive into the real activity, = success, instead of the mindless unreal time waster of playing games.
Google “Don’t break the chain” which is a method of charting for three months things you really want to do each day and by doing don’t break the chain as you replace the game playing with activities you really love to do it helps spur you on because you don’t wanna break the chain of this daily or weekly whatever it is record of your accomplishment.
Jerry Seinfeld went from being an overweight messy bachelor to a number one primetime comedian ( fulfilling his goals), by doing “don’t break the chain.
He started every day crossing off the box for doing his dishes, his laundry and cleaning up his apt. and working out & working on jokes ~ pushing himself to audition as a comedian and voila ! look where he went
I think don’t break the chain should be taught in every school to teach children that we need these inspiring methods to help us attain things we want to do because “life gets in the way” truly does and the radiation with our screens are so addictive, oh my god it’s so detrimental all I can say is I miss the good old days when we didn’t spend five hours or more on a stupid addictive radiation emitting device I want my life back, how about you ?!
I wish you all the best in getting yours back too, everyone !
🌸 Love and Happiness,
~ Nell
P.S. “Live as if you were
to die tomorrow.
Learn as if you were
to live forever.”
🌸 Gandhi
If we were to die tomorrow I believe many of us will regret all the years we’ve wasted on our phones instead of living our lives to the fullest and making our lives better for ourselves and others.
Carpe Diem !
( Seize The Day ) !
BubblyBubbly says
woww this was actually inspirational thank you for this>> :))
Electragiants says
I really enjoyed the experience of all people. The article is so interesting and useful. Thanks for sharing this type of post.
Paulos says
Read the Bible
Pray the deliverence prayer 4 self.
Bless n surrender urself b4 u touch.
Go for confession
Sit b4 the blessed sacrament
God bless you
nessie says
i am so addicted to movies
growth focus life coach says
usually when you use something there’s a deeper meaning behind our actions. Once you understand the deeper meaning you could address the problem.
be curious about your actions and ask yourself
What feeling do you from the movies?
What healthy actions could you do to feel those feeling?
Emily says
Set a timer or two and pace yourself so you don’t waste hrs. on films. I am like you, truly love film and the timers really help. Also have a list with things you need & want to do by your side
(clipboard). You can also make a list of things to do while watching a film.
Jump on a mini trampoline for great exercise, during a film.
Good Luck, you’ve got this !
C Rose says
Reading the Holy Scriptures is NOT an occasion for the use of a mind or body dealing with chronic severe pain. I have been a daily student of the Word of our Creator for over 50 years. The study of the Truth takes a mind able to focus. It is not simply a talsman to comfort. God’s Word takes effort to comprehend..is not to be taken lightly. I confess ONLY to God. It needs no Middle man in human form. The ONLY mediator between mankind and our Creator is His Son— Christ Jesus. Not some other human.. another just as imperfect as I
Electragiants says
I really enjoyed the experience of all. The article is so interesting and useful. Thanks for post
AMIT BISWAS says
i am 18 years old struggling to focus on my dream. tough i want to live my dreams passionately but the addiction to mobile is way too real..
i am leaving this comment an 30 days back i would be back to tell people if i got over my problems
Bookie Blink says
I feel the same way you do. Hence, I am going to take up the 30 day experiment. I will also come back and tell you all if I was able to quit my addiction
Tamsyn says
Good for you Amit. How are you going? I think it’s great you have recognised the issue. The real problem is for people who don’t see the effects. I’m sure you can do this!
Jules says
So… did you make it?
Casekeepers says
This information is very useful for us. this blog is very good and helpful.
Kathy S. says
I still don’t have one. I have a home phone and desktop computer. People are shocked and ask me how I function. There have been a couple times a phone would’ve been convenient, but to me it isn’t worth the expense to my health, physically or emotionally, or to my bank account.
Jacqueline says
I have a flip phone in my car for an emergency. I don’t even know the number, and I don’t get any calls on it. I’m happy, and I do not wish to take selfies and photos of what I’m eating to share on Facebook.