3 Tips to Break Your Phone Addiction From a Tech Professor
▼ Summary
– Smartphones are intentionally designed to be highly engaging and can lead to mindless, excessive use known as doomscrolling.
– To combat this, set a clear intention before using your phone, such as checking for a specific email, to create a conscious stopping point.
– After completing your intended task, consciously decide whether to stop or continue scrolling, making your device use a deliberate choice.
– Create physical distance from your devices, like leaving your phone in another room during dinner, to introduce a barrier against mindless checking.
– This small separation forces you to be intentional about device use, making you actively decide if retrieving the device is worth the effort.
It’s easy to lose hours to endless scrolling, a common experience in today’s connected world. According to Paul Leonardi, a professor of technology management and author of a book on reclaiming life from digital overload, our devices act like powerful magnets, intentionally engineered to capture and hold our attention. For anyone aiming to cut down on screen time and develop a more balanced relationship with technology, he offers several practical strategies.
Start with a clear purpose. There’s nothing wrong with using your phone when you have a specific need. The real challenge arises when usage becomes automatic and hours disappear without purpose. Leonardi emphasizes the value of setting a quick intention each time you pick up your device. This simple act creates a mental boundary and a natural stopping point. For instance, you might open your phone solely to check for an important email. By holding that reason firmly in mind, you establish what he calls a “choice point” once the task is complete. At that moment, you consciously decide: do I stop here, or do I drift into social media or other apps? You might still choose to scroll for a while, but the key difference is that it becomes a deliberate decision rather than a mindless habit.
Create physical space. This is a classic piece of advice for good reason. Leonardi suggests building a small barrier between yourself and your devices. This could involve checking emails only at a desk in the kitchen instead of bringing a laptop into the bedroom, where it’s tempting to browse before sleep. During meals, try leaving your phone in another room rather than placing it on the table within easy reach. That minor separation forces a moment of pause. You must consciously ask yourself if you truly want to get up and retrieve the device. Often, the answer is no, effectively breaking the cycle of automatic, thoughtless checking.
Engage in an offline activity. One of the most effective ways to reduce screen dependency is to replace digital time with a tangible hobby. When your hands and mind are occupied with an activity like cooking, gardening, reading a physical book, or crafting, you naturally have less capacity and inclination to reach for a screen. These activities provide fulfillment and engagement that often surpass the fleeting satisfaction of scrolling, making it easier to disconnect and enjoy the present moment.
(Source: CNBC)
