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Disclaimer: I am not an addiction expert and am speaking mostly from studies, anecdotal as well as personal evidence in working with schools and families. A lot (if not most) of us at this point suffer from mild, all the way to severe symptoms of “addiction” connected to our digital devices. The positive (or negative) feedback loops associated to “picking up” our device and checking our messages, social media etc. have us come back for more at highly frequent intervals. Whilst we might refer to it as “device addiction”, it is really the apps and their content that have us hooked. You have to understand that particularly social media apps are designed to be addictive. That’s how they generate value, by keeping you scrolling, watching, interacting. The good news is that fit’s essentially a habit and as such you can unlearn a habit and learn a new habit.

What can you do?

1. Recognise the triggers that make you reach for your phone. Is it out of sheer boredom? Anxiety? Fear of missing out? When you feel “compulsed” to pick up your phone, stop and try and understand why you are picking it up.

2. Measure and analyse your screen time using “screen time” on iPhone or Android’s digital wellbeing menu. By understanding your screen time, you can start working on goals for reducing it. Find out which apps are the worst for making you pick up your device.

3. Now that you understand the why and what, start reducing screen time by setting a goal for the coming week based on an improvement from the previous week. Pick the worst offenders which will make the biggest difference based on what you have analysed.

4. Set up some downtime and time limits for apps and notifications using “screen time” on iPhone or Android’s digital wellbeing menu. Especially limit it before bedtime and first thing in the morning.

5. Replace using your device with another activity. When you are about to pick up your device, stop and ask yourself if you could spend that time doing something offline (go for a walk, read a book, meet someone in person etc.)

6. Place your device face down and out of reach when you are doing something else (i.e. reading, watching TV, having dinner etc.) but particularly when you are sleeping. You’re far less likely to pick it up out of habit if you have to get up to get your device.

7. Once you manage your screen time to a level you are happy with and start building habits that reduce or eliminate your perceived need to pick up your device, you will have built a new, healthier habit.