Addicted to mobile phones? Your 'digital detox' plan for free.

Conscious TV

September 28, 2020

Mobile phone dependence or addiction has a name: nomophobia. A disorder caused by the fear of being without a mobile phone.

Smartphones are a fundamental part of most people's lives, allowing us to stay connected and informed at all times 365 days a year. The downside of their use is that many of us are also addicted to the sound, vibrations and other alerts of our smartphone notifications. This means that we are often unable to ignore new emails, texts, images and social media updates. And what if we run out of battery or simply leave it at home.

New research led by Erik Peper and Richard Harvey reveals that excessive smartphone use is similar to any other type of substance abuse: "The behavioural addiction of smartphone use begins to form neurological connections in the brain in a similar way to that experienced by people taking Oxycodone for pain relief, for example," Peper explained.

In parallel, social media addiction can have a negative effect on social connection, with other people including family and friends. In a survey of San Francisco State students, Peper and Harvey found that students who used their phones more frequently reported higher levels of isolation, loneliness and anxiety.

Experts warn that digital addiction is not our fault, but the tech industry's desire to increase corporate profits. "More eyeballs, more clicks, more money," says Peper. Push notifications, vibrations and other alerts on our phones and computers make us feel compelled to look at them by activating the same neural pathways in our brains that once alerted us to impending danger, such as an attack by a tiger or other large predator. "But now we are hijacked by those same mechanisms that once protected us and allowed us to survive, by the most trivial information," he says.

Fortunately, just as we can resolve to eat less sugar, we can also take the reins and train ourselves to be less addicted to our mobile phones.

If you are interested in starting our 'digital detox' plan to spend less time on social media and using mobile devices email us at: gema@televisionconsciente.com and we will send you the plan for free.

Your children, family, friends and even you can benefit from our 'digital detox' plan. Ask yourself how much time do you really spend with your loved ones?

Namaste.