Today, a smartphone is practically a necessity. Though some brave souls are returning to the dumbphones of the previous decades, not everyone is able or willing to make this sacrifice. Yet, an increasing dependence on cell phone technology and social media has turned what was once a useful tool into something destructive. At best, our cell phones are a distraction. At worst, they are a prison.
As our time spent on screens skyrockets—and with it our time spent on social media—so have mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. As Zach Rausch, lead researcher for The Anxious Generation told Verily earlier this year, “I often hear people talking about ‘just’ social media, or ‘just’ smartphones. I think the conversation needs to be about how they interact with each other.” In particular, Rausch shared how smartphone and social media use is harming adolescent girls, who are “going to the [psychiatric] Emergency Room three times the amount they did just 10 years ago.”
While the situation may not be as dire for adults, age does not make us immune to the negative effects of smartphone and social media use. Most of us know digital distractions are lowering our attention spans, disrupting sleep, and even contributing to an epidemic of loneliness.
And yet, despite all the warnings, it’s hard to implement a break from social media or our phones in general. Even if we can power through a few days with limits on our screen time—or without our go-to apps—unless we have built a strong foundation for lasting change in the interim, we run the risk of ending up back where we started.
Cal Newport, the New York Times best-selling author Deep Work and Digital Minimalism, poses a simple but lasting solution. In his podcast, "Deep Questions," Newport offers a two-part method for breaking phone and social media addiction. Here’s a look at his steps, with a few ideas on how to implement them in your own life.
01. Stop trying
It may seem counterintuitive, but the first step to cutting phone time is to stop trying to cut back. In episode 288 of "Deep Questions", Newport says:
"Forget your phone. Do what you want to do on your phone . . . But start adding, at the same time, really quality alternatives. Start adding into your life things that can eventually take the place of just looking at your phone. That can eat away that sensation of boredom and anxiety of being alone with your own thoughts. That drives us back to the succor of low-quality distractions."
The key is quality. It is easy to think of all the good things we should be doing instead of spending time on our phones—things like cleaning the bathroom, organizing our closets, or other chores. But these tasks aren't actually helpful for this initial replacement. Scrolling Instagram is easy and comfortable; chores require work. In theory, chores may be an excellent substitute for phone time; in practice, this alternative is unrealistic.
So, what kinds of good things can we add into our lives that will replace phone time in a satisfactory and long-lasting way? Newport advises us to invest in a "high quality leisure tool-kit," and he outlines six specific ways to replace our phone in our lives. Instead of worrying about reducing screen time right away, implementing new and better forms of leisure will, Newport says, "remove the monopoly your phone has on your time." With a little effort, activities that satisfy our needs and cravings in a richer, deeper, and more lasting way may replace time spent in mindless scrolling. Here’s a look at what he advises:
Read a lot more. If you're not an avid reader, or if you've become accustomed to short-form entertainment, it may take a few pages (or chapters) of dogged reading before you're hooked. But if you can stick with it for just 6 minutes, your stress levels could be lowered by as much as 68%. Books may not give instant gratification in quite the same way as social media or other phone-based entertainment, but they are so much more fulfilling, engaging, and impactful in the long run. Not sure what to read? Try out one of these classic novels. Whether you’re a fan of murder mysteries or prefer an unconventional romance, nothing compares to losing yourself in the pages of a good book.
Invest in high-quality video media. Good movies and documentaries—or even helpful, high-quality YouTube channels—may be the easiest way to replace short-form media. Try exchanging 15 TikTok videos or Instagram reels with that one 15-minute long YouTube video you have saved in your watchlist. Your attention span will thank you.
Work on a skill-based hobby. Reconnect with something that jazzes you, and replace just a few moments of scrolling with a skill-based hobby. Your skill level really doesn’t matter—just pick up those crochet hooks, break out a paint set, or tune that old guitar. Or, start a new hobby. Ask a friend if she'd be willing to teach you to knit, take a cake decorating class through a local bakery, or even find tutorials for the hobby of your choice on YouTube. Who knows where it might lead? Getting started is the hardest part, but if you can stick out the tedious first minutes, you may become lost in your project before long. With enough consistency, your hobby could grow and expand in ways you might never expect. But even if it doesn’t, it’s still worth doing.
Have an exercise-based hobby. There are myriad exercise options, activities, and classes available for beginners. Find an easy way to integrate exercise into your regular schedule—taking up gardening or taking the dog on an extra-long walk may serve to provide a good introduction to fitness. This summer, I tried geocaching with my younger brother. Although this hobby does require a GPS, it not only cuts down on phone time, but is a great way to get some exercise and explore, whether you stick to your own neighborhood or take on a new city.
Newport suggests maintaining a streak or striving for a specific fitness goal. With something to attain (or maintain), we will be much less inclined to let an exercise habit slip. Some examples include walking just one minute longer than you walked the day before, building enough strength to complete a push-up, or engaging in two or three of these micro-exercises every day. If you can’t stand the idea of exercise, check out this article.
Meet regularly with other people. Let's face it—it's nice to be in the loop. So, Newport urges, create a real loop outside of your phone. Instead of clipped conversations over Snapchat, Instagram DMs, or texts, make time for face-to-face connection over coffee or while walking through a park.
Of course, while good conversations are ideal, making small talk can be challenging or irritating to some. Try deepening your discussions—and thereby, your friendships—with thought-provoking questions. Time becomes much more fulfilling when you're spending it with others, no matter what the activity. Building meaningful relationships has numerous benefits for physical and mental health, from lowering anxiety and depression to blood pressure and cortisol levels. As you make more time for both family and friends, a natural result may be less time spent on your phone, to the benefit of everyone.
Seek out adventures. Newport says that by adventure, he means "things that are above and beyond what's easy." Life is fraught with opportunities for adventure, but deliberately seeking out challenges takes courage and prudence. Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, setting new goals, or taking the plunge on that big project you keep pushing away—such as starting your own business, getting a puppy, or writing a book—can bear great fruit. If it’s not the right time in your life for a big adventure, you can still choose to go on a little one. I like to challenge myself to run errands, visit a friend, or walk around the block—without bringing my phone along for the ride.
Newport acknowledges that choosing high-quality leisure activities like the six in the “leisure tool-kit” instead of reaching for our phones may come with a little pain. But if we can allow ourselves to become caught up in a new and better form of leisure, the need to scroll will quickly melt away.
02. The thirty-day declutter
The next step, says Newport, is to step away from optional technologies and apps while leaning into your high-quality leisure tool-kit for 30 days. While there is no set amount of time that step one lasts, it is recommended that you only continue to step two when the activities are already well-established and beginning to replace your phone time. Going cold turkey may be hard at first, but Newport says you will notice a positive difference within weeks, or even days.
During this time, Newport says to notice which of these apps you really miss. How many really added something to your life? The answer will be different for everyone. You may decide that every social media platform has got to go, permanently, or you may decide that most social media platforms are necessary for your wellbeing. At the end of this time period, you get to decide which tools are valuable enough to add back into your life––but with clear rules on how and when you're going to use them.
As a recent college graduate, I value keeping touch with my friends, who are now scattered around the country. Instagram is one of the best ways for me to do this, so it is an app that holds deeper value for me than, say, Facebook or Snapchat.
Of course, Instagram reels are also an addicting and time-consuming trap, so no matter how good a tool it is for keeping tabs on my friends, boundaries must be implemented. For example, I keep the Instagram app deleted from my phone. The hassle it takes to re-download it allows me to be more intentional about the time I spend on it. I also enjoy using Pinterest as a source of artistic inspiration, but I only allow myself to access the site from my laptop. Because my laptop is not constantly within reach, unlike my phone, I don’t scroll mindlessly through Pinterest nearly as often as I did in the past.
Newport also offers insight on how to make this decision. Ask yourself:
How am I using this app? Are there distracting functions that I can disable? Can I turn off notifications so that I feel the need to check in less often? Can I keep the app offloaded from my phone and only check it from my laptop? Are there any detrimental or unnecessary accounts or channels that I can unfollow?
When am I using this app? Can I set up a timer or an app-blocking software? Try giving yourself an hour of screen-free time after waking up and another one before going to bed. Over the course of weeks or even months, you can gradually add more numerous or longer screen-free times to your day. You could also designate one or two days a week to download all of your favorite apps, but keep them deleted or hidden during the rest of the week.
By following Newport's method, our phones can go back to being a tool, not a trap. By implementing our "high-quality leisure toolkit" into our daily lives, we replace the need for low-quality entertainment in a way that will create lasting change. At first, a bike ride or good book may not be as alluring as the bright colors of a screen, but they will be infinitely more fulfilling, meaningful, and beneficial in the long run. By establishing strict boundaries, we exert more control over our technologies. When each app has a function and a purpose that is higher than quick dopamine hits or wasting time, then we are using technology as it is meant to be used.
Source: Verilymag.com
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
