Most of us can admit that we spend a little too much time on our phones. With smartphones that do just about anything, from talking to friends to watching movies to shopping, it's no wonder that many of us spend hours staring at them each day.
But what effect is this having on our productivity levels?
How Much Time Are We Actually Spending on Our Phones?
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The average amount of time people spend on their phones differs from country to country, but Americans tend to spend five to six hours every day on their phones. This means that the average American spends around three months of the year staring at their phone screen. Pretty crazy, right?
The case is similar for other western countries. The average British citizen, for example, spends around four hours a day on their phone. While this is less than the American average, it's still a considerable amount of time.
The figures are similar in India, with people spending around four and a half hours a day on their phones. So, how is this affecting how we live our lives, and how efficiently we can get things done?
The Link Between Phones and Productivity
While many of us know that phones are a distraction, the psychological aspects surrounding phone use and productivity are intriguing to say the least.
In a paper released by Eilish Duke in 2017, it was observed that using your phone interrupts your state of 'flow', or “a state when we are fully absorbed in an activity, forgetting about time and space, and being highly productive”. While trying to get things done, constantly checking your phone will prevent you from reaching this state of flow, which can affect your productivity.
Duke also states in her paper that you'll need to work without distraction for several minutes to achieve this state of flow. So, if you're checking your phone every five minutes or so, you're never going to achieve a consistent state of concentration. In a nutshell, it's probably not a good idea to keep your phone right next to you when you're trying to get things done.
A huge factor in the addictiveness of our smartphones is social media. Today, almost all of us have some form of social media, and this can play a big role in our productivity levels. But why is this the case?
Using social media leads to an increase in dopamine signals in our brains. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that causes us to feel pleasure, just like serotonin and oxytocin. However, the feeling of pleasure caused by dopamine is temporary, so our brains seek to repeat the feeling, leading to the repeated use of social media. We can't exactly blame our brains for this, but it's clearly an unhelpful habit.
So, if you're trying to be productive and avoid distraction from your phone, what's the best thing to do?
How to Stay Away From Your Phone While Working
The most obvious solution to avoid checking your phone is to keep it well away! For example, if you're working at your desk, put your phone in a draw in another room.
However, if you often use your phone for music, podcasts, or other purposes while completing tasks, there are ways to avoid extended screen time even when your phone is nearby.
Firstly, download the songs, podcasts, or other media you want to use, and then turn your phone on airplane mode. This will hugely reduce the number of notifications pinging on your phone, which will therefore reduce the number of times you're prompted to check it. You could also pop your phone on a timer, or use a Pomodoro timer app to set concrete work and rest windows for yourself. You can find some of the best Pomodoro apps here.
If you find it really hard to stay away from your phone, it could be helpful to give it to a relative or housemate to keep you from distracting yourself. After all, if you've got someone else keeping you in check, you'll be much less likely to give in to temptation.
If you want to take things a step further and cut out distracting apps altogether on your phone, we've got a couple of suggestions of ones to avoid, minimizing distraction.
Which Apps Are Most Distracting?
As you might have guessed, social media apps are some of the most distracting and addictive out there. Among the most addictive social media apps are TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. YouTube is also a highly addictive app, though not everyone considers it to be social media.
You might want to consider cutting down on the number of social media accounts you have or deleting some of these apps on your phone so that you can only use them on your laptop. If the apps allow for laptop use, of course. This will make accessing them less convenient, so you'll probably be less inclined to check them as often.
If you're big into gaming apps, there are quite a few that take the cake for addictiveness. Candy Crush, Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, Draw Something, and Words With Friends are all known for their super addictive qualities, so make sure you avoid them if you get too easily distracted by gaming apps.
If you still want to play games, but don't want to get addicted so easily, try brain-training games on apps such as Luminosity or NeuroNation, which are designed to improve your cognitive abilities, instead of just waste time. You can find some of the best brain training apps here.
Get Your Productivity Levels Up and Put That Phone Away
Though scrolling through social media and reaching high scores on games is fun, it's important to remember that there'll always be time for that when you're lying in bed or watching TV.
Maintain a clear separation between work and leisure activities and ensure that your phone does not hinder your productivity. It might not be easy, but it will be worth it!