Why you never quit your cell phone? Here's why.

The world we live in today is a hectic and busy one. The use of smartphones keeps everyone busy. Meetings, dinners, waiting for the bus, waiting in checkout lines, family gatherings and even special occasions see people using their cell phones all the time to send and receive emails, make calls, receive text messages, and so on. Similar scenarios can be seen frequently in parks, where parents push their children's swings with one hand and look at their cell phones with the other, occasionally looking up to give their children a smile.

These phenomena are a reflection of how the smartphone has affected each of our lives. With it, it's much easier to work when, where and with others, but at the same time the constant connection brought by cell phones also stretches our working hours and makes it impossible to detach from them, potentially affecting our engagement, wasting working time and reducing productivity.

Much of the research to date has simply focused on the negative consequences of cell phones, questioning whether we control them or we are controlled by them. Our study examines this phenomenon from a different perspective.

Rather than focusing on the consequences of excessive cell phone use, our study wanted to explore whether there is a desire within people to change their addiction to cell phone use. Thus our survey question was:Do they try to control the amount of time they spend on their cell phones? If they will, what methods will they use? And what are the specific goals?

To make sense of these issues, we chose an article published on LinkedIn, the global social platform for the workplace, about the risks associated with the overuse of smartphones at social events. We analyzed a wide variety of comments posted by users on this article. The article asked readers to refrain from using their smartphones in the presence of others for 21 consecutive days.

(It is generally accepted that 21 days is considered to be the minimum amount of time needed to develop a new habit.) In just a few months, this article has received over 168,000 hits, 2,900 likes and 941 comments. Through these comments, we were able to see the behavioral patterns of people using smartphones as well as what methods they use to reduce the amount of time they spend on their phones and what their motivations are for adopting this method.

We find that everyone has different reasons for consciously not using their cell phones. We believe that when you develop a method of limiting your cell phone use, it is important to make sure that the method is in line with your values and motivations, and this is where your success in changing your cell phone addiction will be critical. For example, if your motivation is to focus more on work time, then free use of your phone is the best approach for you, while some people are motivated by enhanced socialization, then turning off their phone is perfect for them.

In light of this finding, based on the study we have categorized four main purposes for reducing cell phone use-

Purpose 1: Want to improve role performance at work or at home

Approximately 25% of the 941 comments were from people whose reduced cell phone use was aimed at enhancing their performance in a particular role, whether as an employee, partner, or parent. For example, some people focus on focusing on the work side of things while others want to spend more time with their family and be more involved in family activities. So the methods used for these situations are:

1. Pressing for a smartphone.

2. Do not activate cellular data.

3. Put your cell phone on silent mode during meetings.

4. Keep your cell phone out of sight.

Which of these four methods is most effective?Most reviews say that putting your phone out of sight is the most effective.Not having your cell phone around enhances your situational awareness, so you'll be calmer at work and more focused in meetings with clients and colleagues.

Purpose two: to build a personal view of numbers

About 30% of people in the comments thought that they should reflect on their digital outlook, that is, what role modern technology should play in their lives. Interestingly, people who think this way do so because they have experienced unexpected occurrences, such as their cell phones suddenly breaking down, losing signal, running out of battery, and so on. These unexpected situations led them to start reflecting on their digital outlook.

The methods used are:

1、Buy a cell phone that has only basic functions, what we commonly call: an old man's phone.

2. Only landline telephones will be used during work.

3. Adopt strict rules for use and set a good example for your coworkers, partner or children.

Which of the above is the most effective? In this case it's the last one, of course.Most people consider rulemaking to be of the utmost importance.Mandated cell phone use times range from disabling cell phones during off-duty hours, to disabling them during meal times, and more. One comment said, "My cell phone should just be an aid to my work, I have to control it, I can't let it control me."

Purpose No. 3: Reduce undesirable social behaviors

There were also about 251 TP3T comments that wanted to avoid being rude and impolite in relationships and wanted to reduce the number of awkward situations they had in public due to interruptions or distractions from their cell phones.

There are ways to change this:

1. Use a computer instead of a cell phone app to send and receive emails. This practice is modeled after that of psychologist Shawn Achor. The book "theHappiness advantage" by Shawn Achor puts forward the 20-second principle: by reducing the way of temptation, so as to effectively overcome negative habits. When we check our e-mail on our cell phones, we need to enter our login and password, and this takes more than 20 seconds. 20 seconds of delay may stop you from wanting to check your e-mail.

2. Turn off instant messaging push notifications so that you won't be disturbed by automatically received messages.

3. Punishment. If someone is found to be using a cell phone during a party, then that person will be punished (e.g., he will be punished with a drink, etc.). However, this method is more popular among young people.

Which of the above effects is considered most effective for this situation?

There is no best recommendation for this type of situation. However.Disabling message push is considered the most effective to avoid interruptions during business talk or socializing.The review states that this will increase self-control over the cell phone. Additionally, it was stated that the last method, which is to punish the person using the cell phone, is a method that works well when used among coworkers or friends.

Purpose No. 4: Prioritizing Family and Relationships

Slightly less than 20% commented that they did not want to lose family, friends, or other significant others because of cell phone use. The motivation for these people to use their cell phones less is from family members. Children want their parents to play with them instead of always being on their cell phones, and then there are the partners who will complain that playing on their cell phones takes away valuable time from spending time with themselves.

There are ways to address this phenomenon:

1. Examine your consistent behavior in order to become more self-aware of your smartphone use.

2. Remind yourself regularly what the most important things in your life are, who needs the most attention at social events, and what risks are associated with uncontrolled cell phone use, and consider these factors as a motivator for yourself.

3. Share ideas about cell phone use with friends or colleagues and work together to find the most effective strategies.