Phones: Our Biggest Distraction

We all use our phones constantly, but are there negative effects? According to KommandoTech, people are on their phones for 3 hours and 15 minutes per day on average, and in America, this goes up to 5.4 hours per day. People check their phones around 58 times per day with more than half of those times during work hours.

These constant phone checks could be affecting people’s focus at their jobs and distracting them from their work. In a study done by Jeffrey H. Kuznekoff, “Students who were not using their mobile phones during a lecture wrote down 62% more information in their notes, took more detailed notes, were able to recall more detailed information from the lecture, and scored a full letter grade and a half higher on a multiple-choice test than those students who were actively using their mobile phones.” Our phones are the biggest distraction we have. They even can distract us from driving and are the cause of 1.6 million accidents per year in the United States. About 1 in every 4 accidents are caused by phones.

Mobile phones can also have negative health effects. Frequent phone use can cause eye problems, according to The Vision Council. It can also cause anxiety. A study conducted at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden showed that there is a link between phone usage and mental health symptoms in young adults. “Researchers found high mobile phone use was associated with stress and sleep disturbances for women, whereas high mobile phone use was associated with sleep disturbances and symptoms of depression in men.” Chronic pain is also associated with heavy phone use. Healthcentral.com says, “Long periods of cell phone use cause you to arch your neck and hold your body in a strange posture. This can lead to back pain."

Most people don’t consider the negative effects of phone usage because of the many uses of phones and how dependent we are on them. They might argue that it helps them get through their school or workday by giving them something else to do, such as checking social media, or letting them take a mental break.

Some also might argue of the importance of being able to text their family or friends during the day. These are good benefits for people, but the problem is how addicting phones are. Clinical and consulting psychotherapist, Paul Hokemeyer, says that the reason that smartphones are so addicting is because they trigger the release of serotonin and dopamine, the “feel good chemicals,” in our brains providing instant gratification just like addictive substances do. Because of how addicting phones are, it is hard for people to only be on their phones when they need to be, and it can sometimes get in the way of their focus and cause health problems down the line.

There are solutions to the problem of cell phone over usage. For people who realize there is a problem, there are some simple steps they can take to help them reduce their usage. Set time limits for the use of apps on your phone by going to settings and searching screen time. Then go to app limits and select a specific app or app category which you would like to set a limit for. Finally, you can set daily time limit for these apps and receive a 5 minute warning before the apps are cut off. You can also take the app icons off your phone’s home page to take away constant visual triggers. You can also set up time periods that you decide are cell phone free times. It’s a good idea to try some of these ideas and see what kind of positive impacts it will have on your life.