4 Simple Ways To Limit Your Technology Addiction

Technology is great. It makes a lot of things easier, and ultimately helps us to get more out of our time. But like everything in the world, there is a small difference between time-efficient and time-consuming. But it’s not just about time. Sometimes over-using technology and social media can have bad effects on our health and relationships too.

Technology and social media can be addictive if left unbalanced. And if we couldn’t take action at the beginning of these addictions, or if we couldn’t balance these addictive technologies, then their damage could be permanent. It leads to social depression, anxiety, body image issues, lower self-esteem, social isolation, and even perpetuates eating disorders and self-harm behaviors.

The Science Behind It

The science behind these addictions is alarming. Scientists did an experiment on mice. They put flashlights (similar to our computers, smartphones, and TVs) in front of mice as humans do when they work on computers, watch television, and use smartphones. What the scientists saw was, it took 3 to 5 times longer for a mouse to solve the maze than they solved it in normal situations. And the damage was permanent. It didn’t improve when they stopped putting flashlights in front of them.

And science is the same for us. Permanently working in front of computer screens, then going to our smartphones, then TVs is affecting our mental abilities. But I’m also not a fan of avoiding these things at all. I am a freelance writer and digital marketer and technology and social media are my lifelines. But I also have to take some free moments, some breaks from technology, to keep the balance. And that’s what we are going to talk about in this article, how and when you should take breaks from technology and social media.

Put Your Phone Out Of Reach

This is a very simple yet effective way of being present during your work, reading, relaxing, or meeting with your loved ones. I leave my phone in another room when I read, write, meditate, or spend time with my loved ones. So it does not bother me during these times.

If you charge your phone by your bed, and you wake up in the middle of the night, you will start to check your phone. And that’s when this helpful technology becomes destructive. But what if you charge your phone in the living room? Now, if you wake up in the middle of the night instead of checking your phone, you will fall back to sleep. And when you wake up in the morning, instead of checking your social feed, you’ll say good morning to your spouse.

If you are out for a dinner with your friends or family and you are texting someone who is not there, then you are addicted. And this addiction can destroy your relationships and ultimately you feel lonely and you become more addictive texting people who aren’t with you, and it destroys more of your social skills and eventually you feel depressed, unhappy, and lonely.

It’s better to leave your phone at home when you are going out for lunch or dinner with your friends and family. Charge your phone in your living room. "The Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind" approach works best. Take your phone out of sight very often and it will slowly disappear from your mind too.

Set Limits On Social Media Use

Another way of balancing social media usage is to set limits on it. There are tonnes of apps that help you to set limits on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And once you exceed your limit, they will remind you that it's now time to take this thing off.

If you are someone who works on social media like a social media manager, marketer, or any other job title, then you can use them for hours, but at the end of the day, knowing your limits could help you balance your social media. I prefer to use social media (if it’s necessary) for no more than 2 hours per day.

So you can set limits on your apps and smartphones. It’s also possible to add limits to your computer too. You can use any suitable app to limit your browser usage or your overall computer usage.

But you cannot set limits on your TVs and gaming consoles. It requires self-discipline to limit those things. Instead of thinking that you can limit these technologies so you can’t control them, shift your mindset towards a well-disciplined mentality that you can control everything.

As an ancient proverb says:

“I Ask Not For A Lighter Burden, But For Broader Shoulders.”

Turn Off Notifications

We know that dopamine is released in our body when we hear the buzzing and the beeping sound of notifications. Dopamine is an addictive chemical. We want to get more of it. So that’s why when you hear that new notifications are coming to your phone, instead of checking them in your spare time, you even stop your important work and check who is liking your photos.

But if there is no trigger that reminds us to check our phones, then we can simply do our important tasks first. That’s why turning your phone notifications can help a lot.

You can even organize your computer so that your favorite time-consuming apps are not the first thing you see.

Set Technology Free Zones

Set some areas in your home where you cannot use any technology, like no phones, no TVs, and no laptops. This could be your dining table, your bedroom, or both.

I’ve seen parents who assign their children that they can’t use their phones in the dining room, they can’t take their phones to school, and they can’t use their phones in their bedrooms. And this strategy seems to work very well.

If there is no TV in the bedroom, then you have nothing to spend time on but to sleep. If there is no phone during meals, then you have nothing to do but enjoy your meal.

Conclusion

Among all the other reasons for taking a break from social media and technology, the most important one is giving yourself the time and space that a human needs to be healthy, happy, and purpose-driven. Technology is meant to help us and make our lives easier, but if we become addicted to it, then like all addictions, it can destroy us.

But for that, you must first understand your own boundaries. If you are a person who needs to be active on social media as a part of your job, then it’s okay to spend a little bit more time on it. But make sure that you are spending time on your work and not on social media.

This Article is Originally Written By Ghani Mengal