How to get a friend off the phone. Ways to deal with telephone addiction

“I used to be constantly distracted by the iPhone, and then it began to steal my attention from the children,” said Jake Knapp, a former design partner at Google Ventures. - Then I deleted all the applications that distracted me:,. I uninstalled the Gmail app, turned off the built-in mail and even Safari.

According to Napp, this decision brought him great relief. At first, he thought it would be a short-term experiment, but it's been six years and his phone still doesn't have all those apps.

Increase the size of your device

Such unusual advice was given by Michell Zappa, founder of Envisioning Technology.

The huge size of the device helped him pay more attention to moments when it was inappropriate to use. “Instead of a smartphone, I started using iPad mini 3G,” he said. - It had all the functions of an iPhone, except for calls. The tablet is huge, and it was inconvenient to use, say, at the dinner table. So I realized that at some point I was wasting my time on him, and I stopped checking the Twitter and Instagram feed. Later, I started using my smartphone again, but I started doing it more consciously.”

Make it inconvenient for you to use your phone

“The first step [to getting rid of addiction] is to install special application, which will keep track of how often you use your phone. Graphic Designer Sara Lawrence. She installed the Moment app on her smartphone, which showed her how much time she spent staring at the screen. Sarah also tried to alternate the screen settings - for two weeks she used the standard ones, and for the next two she used black and white mode, which was annoying. According to Lawrence, thanks to the black-and-white mode, she began to use her smartphone only on business and stopped mindlessly flipping through social networks.

Leave your phone in another room

Investor Yoni Rechtman shared a piece of advice given to him by a psychologist: whenever you go to another room, don't take your phone with you. Previously, Rechtman always carried a smartphone with him and immediately went home if he had a low battery. According to the investor, his iPhone never ran out of battery because he constantly charged it. The psychologist made Rechtman leave the phone in another room for a short period of time (for example, 15 minutes), and then increase its duration.

Put your phone on airplane mode

“I deleted Instagram a few weeks ago and it was a genius decision,” said John Converse Townsend, Fast Company's social media manager. - At night, I began to turn on airplane mode. I still had to install Instagram again, because my girlfriend was indignant that I did not see the memes that she throws me off. But I turn on airplane mode almost every night, or at least turn off notifications.

Psychiatrists believe that an epidemic of a new disease has begun in the world. She received the name "nomophobia" (from the English no-mobile-phone phobia, that is, "fear of the absence mobile phone"). Her victims, who do not take their eyes off the little electronic friend, can be found everywhere: in the subway, cafes, mall, on the street. They, like zombies, enchantedly chase colored balls in telephone "toys", rapidly type sms-messages, chat enthusiastically at the top of their voices for hours.

Doctors take nomophobia so seriously that they even held a worldwide "Cell Phone Free Days" campaign this February. All users cellular communication it was proposed to turn off your cell phone for a day, or at least reduce the number of conversations.

The action was proposed by the French writer Phil Marceau, who wrote the first novel in sms, which became a bestseller in Europe. He was supported by psychologists, concerned about the new addiction, which is increasingly spreading around the world.

Doctors believe that nomophobia is inherently akin to other addictions such as alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction or shopaholism. Each of them serves as a compensation for some personality problems - complexes, unsatisfied needs, illusions, etc. In the case of a telephone, a person who cannot imagine an hour of life without it also compensates for personal problems, for example, the inability to make contacts with others people or fear of loneliness.

The signs of nomophobia sharply escalate when a person suddenly discovers that he cannot find his phone. They lie in the fact that the patient comes into an excited state, becomes irritated, fussy. He may experience dizziness, rapid pulse, increased sweating, trembling in the hands and feet.

66% of mobile phone owners are nomophobic

For a while, the nomophobe ceases to control his actions. He can nervously throw things around, turn everything around the house in search of his phone. The feeling of extreme discomfort will not leave the patient until he finds out where his phone has disappeared.

The trouble is that the victims themselves do not consider nomophobia a disease at all. They are sure that this is just a harmless habit, although its impact on the daily life of a nomophobe is quite significant. A person practically stops communicating with others and all his free time is busy only listening to melodies, changing settings on the phone, downloading various pictures and programs for him, new games, and so on.

Terrible boon

There is no doubt that mobile communications have revolutionized humanity. Reduced the distance between people, accelerated decision-making, simplified the receipt of information, facilitated control over any situation. But at the same time, she replaced true communication with a surrogate one, increased our dependence on other people, erected invisible partitions even between loved ones ...

Gradually, many become one with their mobile phone, feeling its absence as discomfort. In the UK, conducted a survey among mobile phone users. It turned out that more than half of them (53%) become nervous if they lose their phone, its battery runs out, the balance runs out or disappears. cellular signal. Other studies name even more such people (up to 66%).

Gone to the web

Teenagers and young people suffer the most from nomophobia (77%). Sometimes parents are shocked when they find out how much it costs them to operate a brand new iPhone of a child, donated with the best of intentions. And the child not only hangs out on the Internet for hours, downloads gigabytes of music or jokes, or sends hundreds of text messages a day. He already cannot live without this virtual communication.

And it's not even about the phone itself, - says the head of the department of emergency psychiatry in emergencies, the State Research Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry. Serbian, doctor of medical sciences Anna Portnova. - It would be more correct to talk about dependence on Internet communication - chats, sms exchanges, Skype, etc. Young people, and especially teenagers, have hundreds, if not thousands, of "friends" on social networks. An illusion is created of a very wide circle of communication, which previous generations did not have. But in fact, this communication is surrogate - formal, unemotional, despite emoticons and other icons, not interpersonal. There are no barriers in it, which in personal communication usually restrain the manifestation of a person's negative traits.

Is it possible to defeat the omnipotent Network? It is possible, if instead of surrogate communication, to offer the child the present - to bring him to the sports section, a group of peers with common interests and hobbies. And the parents themselves communicate more with him, be aware of his affairs and problems. Well, if you notice in your child a painful addiction to surrogate communication that you cannot overcome, you should consult a doctor.

What to do

Nomophobia is treated with so-called "exposure therapy". That is, to begin with, the patient is taught to mentally imagine that he does without a telephone at all. Then a person from "mental training" should move on to practice.

However, there are doctors who do not believe in nomophobia. They say cell phone "addiction" is not a disease at all, but rather a social phenomenon. After all, the phone gives a feeling of constant connection with other people. And a similar "anxious state" is experienced by everyone who suddenly found himself cut off from people, without contact with loved ones - for example, he found himself on a desert island.

You can check for yourself whether you or your loved ones suffer from nomophobia. Try turning off your cell phone for a moment right now. If this very thought arouses in you a feeling of inner protest, if there are thousands of reasons why this should not be done, then you should carefully look at your relationship with the "mobile".

Competently

Parents should be aware of the possible harm from modern gadgets, - advises the head of the department of emergency psychiatry in emergency situations of the State Scientific Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry. Serbian, doctor of medical sciences Anna Portnova. - Of course, when a child sits quietly in a corner and works on the phone or computer, does not bother with questions, does not require attention, it is very convenient. But by doing so, he robs himself, he does not form the skills of a real social communication the ability to hear and understand other people. Do not buy gadgets that are not appropriate for the age of the child. And having bought a phone for him, you must immediately agree on how it will be used - only at school and only on business, as well as the amount that you can allocate for a certain period for these purposes.

Signs of nomophobia

Experts believe that we can talk about painful dependence on cell phone, if:

• the child cannot turn it off even for a short time or part with it even for a minute;
• shows constant concern that the battery may be discharged;
• constantly checks sms messages, email etc.;
• often asks to replenish the account of his mobile phone.

According to the survey organizers, OnePoll and SecurEnvoy, the number of people suffering from nomophobia is constantly growing. Two out of three people admitted that they were terribly afraid of losing their phone. Four years ago, only half of the respondents experienced this fear. Especially nervously perceive the loss of the phone those who are from 18 to 24 years old.

• How to deal with addiction?
  • Use silent mode
  • Change your habit
  • Create long passwords
  • Let's get feedback

Technology improves our lives when used wisely. But they can also give rise to addictions in us and aggravate our psychological problems, if we do not know a sense of proportion. The modern world is unthinkable without smartphones. Most people start their mornings with their Facebook or Instagram feed and stay with their device throughout the day. According to experts, every day we spend at least three hours on gadgets, not realizing that our smartphone has become our personal drug.

Where does smartphone addiction come from?

The fact is that applications are specially developed based on our needs. By phone, wewe can relieve stress, to satisfy information hunger, the need for communication and recognition, so we return to our favorite gadget again and again.

Hence the need to take photos anytime, anywhere. We create and consume photo content every minute instead of completely dissolving into the moment and having fun without being distracted by the gadget. Now there is even a saying: “There are no photos on the network, so this did not happen.”

While smartphones have become an integral part of modern life, their abusebreeds procrastination. We inevitably lose track of time and postpone life until later. If you notice that the phone has begun to absorb all your attention, then the time has come to take control of the situation.

How to deal with addiction?

There are a number of ways that can help you reduce the amount of time you spend on your gadget.

1. Use silent mode

Regular alerts are a major distraction. Short sound signals can be a stumbling block in the process of performing everyday tasks. If you don't feel like dragging out a project or task, put your phone on silent. In order not to miss an important call, use the "do not disturb" mode. So you can get through to a person from your list of favorite contacts, but will not be distracted by notifications and calls that can be postponed until later.

1. Set a classic alarm clock

As a rule, scrolling through the feed on social networks after waking up becomes a habit. Sometimes it stretches for long tens of minutes or even hours, takingprecious morning time. The sleepy brain, turning off the alarm clock on the smartphone, begins to hammer itself large quantity information.

Replacing your gadget with a classic alarm clock in the morning will help you control your morning activity. Set an alarm clock and put it next to your bed, and put your electronic friend away or even leave it in another room. Thus, the temptation to flip through the tape will be much less.

1. Put your phone away

When the phone is at hand, our attention will inevitably be riveted to it. Put it away while doing work and communicating with other people, so as not to be led by a momentary desire to check what happened in the last hour in the world and in the lives of your friends. The distance helps to reduce the time spent on the smartphone.

1. Record time spent on the phone

Try to use the gadget consciously for a couple of days. Record the moments of your virtual activity, where you went, why you went and how much time you spent there. At the end of the day, you will be able to see the real scale of the tragedy and adjust your relationship with the phone.

1. Use Companion Applications

Applications can not only steal our time, but also help us manage it wisely. For those who want to limit theiractivity in social networks, various useful applications. For example, Focus Lock, Pause and Menthal apps.

Allows you to block applications that waste the most of your time. It is a reliable companion for those who havetime management problemsand self-organization. It allows you to set the working time and break times. At the time of work, all applications are blocked, so even with a strong desire to be distracted by messages or scrolling through the feed, you will not succeed. It will also remind you when to take a break.

In order to find out which applications are your weaknesses, there isMental. For several days, the application collects a dossier on your activity on your smartphone, and then gives out the naked truth, which will have to be faced. Menthal will tell you what you spend the most time on and help you adjust your virtual leisure.

Appendix Pausesimilar to Focus Lock. Only here the game moment and the spirit of rivalry are added. Pause allows you to invite friends with whom you can compete in endurance. You put your phone on airplane mode and set a timer that records your Internet abstinence time. You can think of bonuses for those who last longer.

1. Change your habit

Instead of trying to give up your gadget in your free time, replace it with a book. Put the books that you have long wanted to read so that during the rest they are at your fingertips. Gradually you get used toto read an interesting bookinstead of automatically scrolling the tape.

In addition, you can install useful applications on your phone and prioritize them. For example, create your own electronic library,study Englishor watch serials in foreign languages.

1. Allocate specific hours to your smartphone

To limit your time on the phone, give yourself a limited amount of time in the morning, evening, and afternoon when you can reply to messages, check your email, or scroll through your feed. For example, half an hour in the morning, several times during the day and half an hour in the evening. Set a timer before diving into the virtual world. Otherwise, you risk losing track of time and violating the established rules.

1. Create a space without a phone

Choose a place at home where you will not use your smartphone. Let it be a kind of rest room from the gadget. Communicate more with your family, spend time with pets and good habits.

1. Create long passwords

The more difficult and confusing the path to the long-awaited account, where you can immerse yourself in the sweet absorption of information, the more time you have to think about whether you should. Come up with long passwords and complex patterns to unlock the screen. The method is suitable for those who find it very difficult to pull themselves together.

1. Let's get feedback

We lose track of time because we sink into the unconscious. Become more aware and reflective. Scrolling through the next tape, be aware of what you are doing now and whether it takes time to perform more important tasks. Think about whether you will bite your elbows after whendeadline will come on your heels.

Come up with your own ways to control telephone addiction. Refuse the smartphone completely and become its opponent in modern world very inappropriate. It is much wiser to learn to control yourself and know the value of time. Coping with smartphone addiction is not as difficult as it seems. You just need to start developing the right habits.

Security question: how many times were you distracted by your smartphone while reading this article?

Among the addictions that we have in our lives, there is an addiction to a mobile phone. The current technology has reached the point where the mobile phone has become a global means of communication by means of calls, SMS and the Internet. In addition, the phones have a number of additional features: photo-video cameras, games, programs, notebooks, alarm clocks, MP3 players, radios, etc.

Mobile addiction in children and adolescents is alarming, because instead of studying in the classroom, they play games, communicate, listen to music, watch photos, videos, many of which would never have passed censorship, although in addition to children, adults themselves also suffer. Scientists cannot determine whether there is a physical impact on human health of a mobile phone, but the dependence on it is obvious.

Dependence - the relationship between objects, characterized by the subordination of some objects to others. The difference between habit and addiction lies in the inability of a person to resist addiction, he is completely absorbed in it, while habit simply makes the handling of the object simpler, easier and takes less time and attention of the performer. Gambling addiction is a form of psychological dependence that manifests itself in an obsessive passion for games.

For this period of time, we simply cannot imagine our life without a cell phone. Now, almost everyone uses mobile communications. Agree, it is very convenient and not too expensive.

The mobile phone, in addition to communication functions, began to be used as a means of “killing time”. It can be like not consciously turning on the phone, viewing applications, but just like a form of play. Dependence phone games can be compared as an addiction to and from computer games, the difference is its convenient way to move and use anytime, anywhere.

Game addiction is a new disease that predominantly affects young people, teenagers and children, although of course there are exceptions. Although this kind of addiction has nothing to do with an infection, it still spreads at the speed of an epidemic around the world.

Dependence on phone games is formed gradually, but if an avid gamer is distracted from the phone for more than two hours, he develops withdrawal symptoms and the need to play like an alcoholic - to drink.

There are several signs of game addiction:

- Unwillingness to break away from the game on the phone;

- Inability to plan your work;

- Irritation and aggression in case of separation from the game;

- Refusal to communicate with friends;

- Neglect of household chores;

- Neglect of sleep and personal hygiene;

- Headaches;

- Decreased immunity;

- Insomnia;

- Violation of vision;

- Increased fatigue.

If you or someone close to you has similar symptoms, then this is most likely an addiction to games. But addiction to games is successfully treated, as a result, a person can return to a normal life. An important step on the path to recovery will be to identify the reasons that prompted the gamer to leave reality for the game world.

So what should you do if you find that you have some of the signs of a phone addiction? Well, first of all, you need to learn how to limit the time you spend on your phone. And here are some tips to help you with this:

1. When you're at home, put your phone in the same place instead of carrying it everywhere with you.
2. Try to keep your use of the phone for no more than 10 minutes.
3. Turn off your phone for a day. Naturally it will be difficult, but you must restrain yourself from turning it on.
4. Leave your phone at home when you don't need it. For example, when you walk your dog or go to the mail.

And in conclusion, I must say that if you find yourself with telephone addiction, then do not despair, because any problem is solved. If the above tips do not help you, then contact a psychologist and discuss this problem with him.

Whether mothers want it or not, your child will grow up in the information world, surrounded by "advanced" peers. And become part of his life. And here, on the part of parents, it is important to have time to take measures so that the need to use digital technologies does not turn into addiction.

British and Polish scientists urge to control the time that a child spends communicating with new technologies, as they negatively affect the development of social and physical skills in children, starting from a very young age. If you are addicted, read on.

Moms should take this into account, as cases of compulsive behavior requiring therapy are becoming more common, caused by the fact that children from birth use electronic devices and the Internet.
In addition, cases of development of dependence on gadgets often began to appear.

When it comes to smartphone and social media abuse, there are a range of reasons.

Causes of smartphone addiction in children

• Desire to be always available. Fear of being cut off from the information flow.
• The desire to be needed, significant, noticeable. All social networks, in fact, are built on a banal desire to assert themselves. And the smartphone fuels this feeling. It is important for a child not only to show his achievements on Instagram, whether it is buying a new dress or cooking a new dish, but also to be curious about what others have, who boasts of what.
• Craving for the new, the unfamiliar.

The habit of immersing yourself in the bright kaleidoscope of images on the Internet and passively absorbing information on news feeds arises very quickly, but it is much more difficult to get rid of it. And here it is important to detect the first ones in time in order to have time to take action before the child develops social phobia, or hostility to the surrounding reality. And the superficial presentation of information takes away the ability for deep creative thinking.

How to overcome addiction in children to a smartphone and social networks

1. Make sure that in the life of the child there is more live communication. For this purpose, you can offer to go to an exhibition together, take a walk, or invite your child's friends for tea.
2. The child should not spend more than two hours a day.
3. Do not let your child sit with a smartphone in his hands at family events and during meals.
4. Plan your child's schedule so that there is as little time left for the Internet as possible. Give it to the sports section, to a music school, to language courses. The more your chick gets carried away with something, the less he will want to waste time with his phone in his hand.
5. Try to unobtrusively find out the reason why the virtual world is more interesting to him than the real one, perhaps the child has problems communicating with peers, or he lacks new emotions. In this case, you should devote more time to the family, plan a joint vacation and make small holidays for yourself, the main thing is as much live communication as possible.
6. When you go on vacation, don't look for accommodation with Wi-Fi. Better grab a couple for the baby.
7. Ask your child to call you back instead of sending an SMS.
8. Show genuine interest in your child's hobbies. Often social media give the child the opportunity to feel that he has many like-minded people and therefore he hides there from others who may not be so supportive of his hobby.
9. Try to find out what your child is interested in so that you can speak the same language with him.
10. Parents should also get their own hobby, and it should be something other than relaxing in front of the TV, which, in principle, can also be equated with an escape from reality. You should show by your own example how you can spend time productively without using modern gadgets.
11. Parents should use the phone only for its intended purpose: no games with the child and endless correspondence at work.
12. Do not give your baby a gadget before bedtime, because this can cause impaired concentration, lead to insomnia, and, as a result, to chronic fatigue, irritability, and.
13. Arrange a joint vacation without phones. Once a week, when you go for a walk with your family, leave all your phones at home.

Moms need to take into account that total bans on games and digital content are useless and unproductive, so you should not choose a similar method to overcome children's addiction to gadgets.

It is worth noting that this is a kind of criterion for the effectiveness of all parental efforts, and if the child has enough attention and support from parents, he will not need to use the phone to deal with loneliness.