Ringing in Change is Tough

Chennai: A growing movement in Brooklyn this week has seen people intentionally putting their phones aside and focusing on connecting with each other. They began meeting in groups to disconnect from phones and focus on reading, writing, and talking face to face. All of these efforts are part of a broader movement against the addictive nature of smartphone apps.

How to stop mindless scrolling and compulsive phone checking? It’s hard, and it’s hard, and it’s hard.

Deleting addictive social media applications such as Instagram and Twitter from the phone and using them on the desktop via the browser will help you get rid of screen addiction.

It’s best to turn off notifications for all apps other than phone calls or messages to reduce the urge to pick up the phone.

Keeping the phone in another room prevents scrolling before going to sleep and checking it as soon as you wake up. It’s important to delay the urge to check the phone for five to 10 minutes when a notification arrives.

Make sure areas such as the dining table are phone-free zones. Similarly, spending the first hour of the morning without a phone will definitely help. Try to set a specific time to check social media, such as 10-15 minutes twice a day.

Similarly, socializing without screens is now vital. Art, crafts and conversation-oriented activities can be organized instead of the time we spend on social media.

By removing some apps and changing the role of the phone in the morning routine, the compulsive checking cycle can be broken completely. This columnist has tried to implement a few of these changes and has had some success, but maintaining them remains a challenge.