We’re in deep. On average, we check our phones every 5 minutes and the latest stats suggest we spend two hours and 29 minutes a day on social media. Two in five adults grab their phone within five minutes of waking up, rising to 65% for the under 35s. But being addicted to your phone is as much about feelings as figures. Unsure where you stand? Google the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale and take the online test.
1. Apps Try To Reel You In
The more time you spend with your eyes down, scrolling, the more profit apps make. Like sweets, they’re designed to deliver pleasure without ever satisfying. ‘Their primary tool is to short-circuit the stopping cues that normally shuffle us on to a new activity,’ says Adam Alter, author of Irresistible: The Rise Of Addictive Technology And The Business Of Keeping Us Hooked. ‘Tech companies offer us endless newsfeeds, effortless scrolling and a bottomless well of entertainment content.’
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2. Social Media Is Basically A Casino
Social media platforms deliver rewards ‘that mimic those you might find in a casino’, says Alter. The ‘pull-to-refresh’ function is like a slot machine: part of the thrill is not knowing what you’ll get. Those red notification alerts also rely on our attraction to the unknown. Psychologists call them ‘intermittent reinforcements’ and our brains love such feedback loops. Even ‘Dave is typing…’ WhatsApp messages are there to keep us transfixed.
3. You Might Be Using It As A Painkiller
We often reach for our phones in response to negative emotions – when we’re anxious or bored. Social media platforms act as painkillers: ‘They function to soothe us the way a dummy might soothe a baby,’ says Alter. ‘They deliver low-level rewards, demand very little from us and lull us into a trance.’ Next time you feel compelled to reach for your phone, ask yourself what difficult feelings you’re trying to avoid.
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4. You Can Take Back Control
Alter suggests spending at least an hour a day separated from your phone. ‘Put it in a different room, lock it in a drawer, then try not to use it during that time.’ Resist the urge to check social media first thing in the morning or last thing at night. ‘Turn off as many notifications as possible and move apps you struggle to resist away from the main screen,’ he says. Timed app-blocking apps can also help curb your impulses.
*Words: Kieran Alger
*This article was originally published by Men’s Health UK
