Ringing in Change is Tough

Chennai: This week in Brooklyn, a growing movement saw people intentionally putting their phones away and focusing on connecting with each other. They have begun gathering in groups to disconnect from phones and focus on reading, writing and engaging in face-to-face conversation. All these efforts are part of a broader movement launched against the addictive nature of smartphone apps.How to stop mindless scrolling and compulsive phone checking? It is tough, challenging and difficult.Deleting addictive social media apps like Instagram and Twitter from the phone and using them via a browser on a desktop, instead, will help in escaping from screen addiction.It is best to turn off notifications for all apps except for phone calls or messages to reduce the urge to pick up the phone.Keeping the phone in another room prevents scrolling before sleep and checking immediately upon waking. Delaying the urge to check the phone whenever there is a notification by five to 10 minutes matters.Ensure areas like the dinner table are phone-free zones. Similarly having the first hour of the morning as phone-free will definitely help. Try to set specific time to check social media, such as 10-15 minutes twice a day.Similarly screen-free socializing has become vital now. Events can be organised to focus on arts, crafts and conversation to replace time we spend on social media.By removing some apps and changing the phone’s role in one’s morning routine, the cycle of compulsive checking can be broken for good. This columnist tried to implement a few of these changes and succeeded to some extent, though sustaining them continues to be a challenge.



Source link