What Happens When You Stop Using Technology
Treating your smartphone addiction could improve your mood, boost your health and restore your ability to focus.
Have you ever been having a great time with friends only to realise you hadn’t checked your smartphone in an hour — so you reached for it, just in case? Sadly, this might be because you’re an addict.
It turns out that smartphones trigger the same reward circuits in the brain as slot machines. The satisfying beep of a notification promising new information is enough to flood our minds with the pleasure chemical dopamine. Which is why we keep coming back for more, to the point where we spend over 4 hours on our phones every day on average.
Like slot machines, devices occasionally consume our cash, but they also take our time which is infinitely more valuable. And companies know this because making attention-grabbing ads and products has become the aim of the game.
So, how are they playing us?
While our brains are hardwired to respond to vibrant sights, sounds, and fresh information, by far the most addictive thing about smartphones, tablets and computers is the ability to be hyper-social. Humans are social beings, so what could be more enticing than connecting with potentially billions of people at a touch?
“It’s a distracting world out there, and every moment is a battle to focus on what matters. Still, without infinity in my pocket, the odds are in my favour.” — Jake Knapp
That’s why you want to look at your smartphone every few minutes and find it difficult to focus on tasks, big or small, for long periods — which isn’t great for those of us wanting to do meaningful work. And regardless of the length of each disruption, you’ll be thrown off.
“Every time you switch your focus from one thing to another, there’s something called a switch-cost,” Dr Earl Miller, a professor of neuroscience at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told TIME magazine. “Your brain stumbles a bit, and it requires time to get back to where it was before it was distracted.”
When investigating the impact short interruptions had on performance, one study found that a distraction of 2.8 seconds was enough to double the rate of errors participants made. A 4.4-second interruption tripled that.
But what about multi-tasking? Well, considering only around 2% of people are said to be supertaskers (you can test yourself here) who don’t become derailed when handling multiple demands at once, for the most part, multi-tasking is a myth. Constant connection is probably diluting the quality of your work.
Not to mention that just by having a phone, you’re volunteering to put yourself on call. Whatever happened to working from 9 to 5?
And we hate to pile on, but studies indicate technology can also impact your health. Firstly, the blue light from smartphones, tablets, and computers has been shown to inhibit the release of the sleep hormone, melatonin, and trigger your body to produce cortisol, the stress hormone. Excess use of these devices has also been linked to an increased risk of anxiety and depression.
OK, we think we’ve made our point — technology is likely making you sick.
Now, how do you go about quitting technology and what will happen when you disconnect?
Well, you’ll put a stop to the damage. You’ll also start to take back control of your own time. And you might reap the benefits of being bored.
It certainly worked for The New York Times bestselling author Jake Knapp who says that since making his phone distraction-free by deleting all unnecessary apps, he’s thrived both at work and home.
“Over the last six years, I’ve been able to pay attention to more moments with my wife and kids,” explains Jake, who suggests 7 steps for clearing your phone of distractions. “More often, I feel like I’m being the dad I want to be.”
But if you just can’t commit to deleting your apps like Jake (because you need Instagram sometimes), Chris Bailey, author of ‘Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction,’ has some temporary disconnection strategies you might like to try.
After years of research, he’s defined 4 techniques that he claims will help you break technology’s hold. These are:
- Create a timed, distraction-free ritual (switch off, and then after a certain period, reward yourself for it)
- Set specific, achievable daily productivity goals
- Take on challenging tasks that hold your attention
- Give yourself deadlines.
Now, sometimes even the best-laid plans fall apart. Whether you’re a parent, you work in a busy office, or you’re at a client’s beck and call — sometimes tasks fall into your lap. So, if you can’t commit to a strict disconnection routine, try these small, proven techniques instead.
First, go to bed with your devices in a separate room (you might fall asleep faster without the blue light).
Second, go outdoors whenever you get the chance. The great outdoors, that is. Research shows that being in nature is great for our bodies and minds. It calms us down, fosters good ideas, and eases the draw of devices. After a while, you might forget your phone’s there altogether.
Give it a try and see what works for you.
Even if you struggle, it will be worth it in the long run if it means taking back control of your own attention.
Our goal with Monk Mode is to help you do great work. We created this platform because we believe society’s always-on, always-connected attitude is wreaking havoc on our health, creativity, focus, and potential. This needs to change. By giving you research-backed tactics and inspiration, we want Monk Mode to help you do your best work yet.
At the same time, we don’t think all of the tools we need exist. So, our goal is to create them. We’re working on a few projects right now, one of which is a way to connect people to — and provide — distraction-free, monastery-style dwellings for deep work.
If you want to know more about these projects or you’d like us to send you the best behaviour-change tips from around the web, sign up here. If not, that’s cool. We’re just glad you checked out Monk Mode. See you next week.
