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Cell phone addiction Heads lowered everywhere
For many people, the smartphone from everyday life has long since become indispensable. Even if the devices make life easier for us in many areas, frequent use also poses health risks. Among other things, smartphones promote a digital burnout. Besides, they can be addictive. But there are ways to counter cell phone addiction.
Slaves of their usage habits
Chat with friends, surf the Internet, play games, shop or even search for a partner for life: the smartphone is part of everyday life for most people. The constant use also carries health risks. For example, myopia increases as a result of constant use of smartphones. Many users are under stress, which is why some experts recommend a digital diet for mobile phone users. But such an online fasting is only conceivable for the fewest citizens, as a survey recently showed. People who have become slaves to their usage habits should do something about cell phone addiction.
The mobile phone usage of many people is like an addictive behavior. (Image: ra2 studio / fotolia.com) If you depend on the smartphone
The computer scientist Alexander Markowetz, who researched the topic of digital burnout at the University of Bonn, explained in a message from the news agency dpa, what happens when users become dependent: "I perform an action, and then there is a surprise." The plot is the push of a button to activate the display, the surprises can be varied: Is there any news? Has anyone looked at my posted photos from vacation or from the party? The rhythm is then determined by waiting for the next message from friends, on a new Like on Facebook or the next level in the online game. The body releases the happiness hormone dopamine, which ensures that we reach for the display again and again. "This is maximum reward with minimal effort," said Michael Knothe, press spokesman for the Association Media Dependence, the mechanism.
Not every frequent user is equally dependent
But where is the border between normal use and addiction? Just because you often look at your smartphone, you do not depend on the same, says Kai Müller, who works as a psychologist in the Gambling Outpatient Clinic of the Mainz University Hospital. "There are certain risk factors that people bring with them." Sometimes the smartphone is used as a distraction in stressful situations or to avoid uncomfortable tasks. "You should worry when everything revolves around the cell phone and you also interrupt beautiful activities in order to look at the display," says Müller. Neither the employment with the mobile phone may affect the hobby nor replace social contacts. For people who chat for hours, but continue to go to the sports club and create the school, there is rather no addiction problem.
The cellphone can be taken anywhere
Smartphones, however, can be taken anywhere, unlike, for example, vending machines or gaming PCs. As a result, there are no natural breaks anymore. According to Müller: "It is important to define specific time-outs." Even if it is not an addiction, excessive use has disadvantages. "Whenever I see my cell phone every 20 minutes, my productivity and happiness suffer," warns Alexander Markowetz, who developed an app called Menthal that measures usage patterns on mobile phones. Unrepresentative evaluations of the app running on 300,000 smartphones showed that users watch an average of 88 times a day on the screen, and in 53 cases an action follows. The constant interruptions have the consequence that the concentration is disturbed and the work is difficult.
Consumption diary against anti-yoga
Markowetz calls the anti-yoga: "When you go to yoga in an orthopedic valuable position and focuses the mind. When surfing a smartphone, many people take an orthopedic absurd stance and seek distraction. "So it takes more than mindfulness and self-control to get a handle on usage. "You can keep a consumption diary and write down what you used to like doing and would like to do more," advises Michael Knothe. This also helps to estimate how much space the phone occupies and what alternatives there are.
Do not bring cell phones to the dining table or to bed
Psychologist Mueller recommends in the dpa message to insert offline days, where you turn off the mobile data. Cell phones did not belong to the dining table or to the bed anyway. Especially before the latter health experts warn more often. This has to do with the fact that bright screen light robs us of sleep at night and should therefore be avoided. Besides Menthal, apps like Checky, Offtime, Hypnobeep or Qualitytime can help. These give feedback on the usage habits. Furthermore, Markowetz advises to make the grip on the smartphone as cumbersome and superfluous. For example, by using a wristwatch and alarm instead of the corresponding mobile phone functions and the smartphone is put in the backpack instead of in the trouser pocket. To put it to the test, you can spend a whole day trying to get by without the device. If that works, the benefits, according to Müller in the frame. (Ad)