Each time we waste more time distracted by our mobile phones, which is passing an important bill to our physical and mental wellbeing.
According to an annual survey about trends in the Internet, in 2017 the adult population of the united States spent an average of three hours and 20 minutes a day, busy with their mobile phones and their tablets, double that of just two years ago. Another survey indicates that the majority of this time is spent in activities dubiously productive, such as Facebook, games, and other social networks.
Bad news, as the studies conducted by me and by other specialists show that the excessive use of technology is related to depression, accidents, and even death.
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perhaps paradoxically, the creators of computer programs have been at the forefront of the initiatives to solve the problem by developing applications whose purpose is to help users to disconnect from their devices. Some of them you reward or even to “punish” for to deprive myself of using your mobile phone for a period of time set in advance. Other prevent you from full access to certain sites or activities.
Now, what is the cause that some work better than others? The behavioral sciences, in which I am specialized, can shed some light on the topic.
why we need help
The technology is designed to be addictive, and to a society “movildependiente” it costs to do without, even a few minutes, their smart phone enabled with applications.
This addiction has consequences.
As is logical, the more serious are those that end in death, as the result of distracted driving or even taking a selfie.
But, in addition, has a high cost to our mental health, as has been demonstrated by my investigation. An experiment that I conducted with a colleague found that looking at the profiles of Facebook of people having fun at a party woke up with a feeling of not belonging in new students of the university. Another study indicated that people who spent more time using social networks were less happy.
In short, the constant connection of our mobile phones to the Internet ‒and our constant connection to our mobile phones‒ means that we neglect the emotional bond with those who matter most to us. In the process, the happiness of the entire world decreases.
Attempts to disconnect
The good thing is that most of us are not ajemos to the negative effects of the technology and desire to disconnect.
As is to be expected in a market economy, businesses are doing everything possible to give us what we want. Some examples are a technological company with headquarters in Brooklyn that sells basic mobile without connecting to Internet, hotels that offer discounts to families if they left their mobile phones during their stay, and the resorts that organise packages around the idea of creating sacred spaces in which consumers leave their devices at home.
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The developers of applications have also been up to the challenge with programs whose function is to help us use less of our mobile. The behavioral sciences offer us some ideas on what features we should look for in a productivity app.
Set a goal is fundamental
studies advise that download applications that ask us that we set specific goals related to concrete action. Getting up-front commitments can be a powerful motivator, even more than the economic incentives.
Moment, for example, asks its users to mark specific targets that have to do with the use of the technology and that the linking of everyday actions, such as reducing the use of technological devices every time you send or receive an invitation via the electronic calendar. Offtime you cool the memory with a warning when you’re about to exceed the limits of the Internet activity that you yourself have decided.
Flipd goes a step further and blocks in full and effective certain mobile application when the user has exceeded certain objectives ‒although try to restart the device, which makes it a no go most of the applications of commitment. In a similar way, Cold Turkey Blocker prevents literally users from accessing any other functions of your computer for a certain period of time until they have completed a task set by themselves, as you write.
The default settings are your friends
Choose an application that will help you change your “default settings”.
In A little push, the award-winning book from Nobel prize winner Richard Thaler and professor of Law at Harvard, Cass Sunstein, for example, the authors show how to modify the default settings of the retirement plan of a company asking its employees who elect not to participate in it, rather than for otherwise‒ facilitates the achievement of a goal such as saving enough for old age.
The applications of our mobile can also benefit from this method. Freedom is an example of a program that automatically blocks users to visit web pages and applications that distract you, such as social networking and video games. Ransomly change the default configuration of a room ‒the dining room, say‒ so that it is free of telephones and screens. For this it uses a sensor and an app that shuts down automatically all the devices that are nearby.
In short, look for applications that change the default settings of your mobile in such a way that will help you meet your goals.
reward and punishment
Another good strategy is to choose an application that works with prizes.
generally, we attach a great value to the rewards earned with effort, even if they have no economic value. Our mobile, in fact, usually take to this idea, as is the case with the various applications that offer “badges” for reaching certain achievements in sport every day.
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Some productivity apps, such as Deliberate, they also incorporate these remunerations by giving users points exchangeable for rewards ‒such as discounts in shops and yoga classes‒ when they meet their objectives of time in front of the screen. Since the rewards are static become desmotivadoras with the time, choose an application that will grant awards varied and surprising.
A motivation even more powerful that a win can be to lose it. The explanation is that the studies show that losing has a greater impact on behavior than gain, so if it intends to seriously change your way of behaving, try an application that will cause significant losses. Some examples are Beeminder, which charges five dollars from your credit card for each purpose unfulfilled, or Forest, which provides the opportunity to cultivate a nice tree anime (or watch it wither slowly and die), depending on whether you have reached or not the goals related to technology.
Persevere worth
perseverance is one of the most difficult parts when it comes to meeting a new goal, from losing weight to learning to cook.
The research indicates that investing in social motivations, such as the need for integration, can be an incentive for a behavior change is long-lasting. Some applications that involve your friends and family, as Ransomly, are more likely to promote it.
The constant connection to the devices mine the happiness, relationships and productivity. The applications that benefit from the latest findings of the behavioral sciences can help us to disconnect and to continue to live our life.
Ashley Whillans is an associate professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School.
Disclosure statement
Ashley Whillans receives funding from the Initiative Interfacultativa Mind Brain and Behavior, and Initiative in Human Behavior from Harvard University. He is a member of the Group of Behavioural Sciences of the Provincial Government of British Columbia and consultant in the field of Edleman and Maritz. None of these organizations directly benefit from this article.
This article was originally published in English on the website The Conversation.
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