How often do you find yourself reaching for your phone throughout the day?
Take a moment to think about it.
This might involve:
- Checking the time,
- Reading texts,
- Sending messages,
- Scrolling through social media,
- Emailing,
- Looking up information,
- Checking game scores,
- Playing daily puzzles like Wordle,
- Engaging in games like Candy Crush or Wordscapes,
- Monitoring security cameras.
If you’re like most people, you might be surprised by how often you actually check your phone. It’s almost automatic now.
Curious about the average? Research indicates that many individuals check or unlock their phones more than 50 to 100 times a day. That translates to roughly every 10 to 20 minutes while they’re awake. Yet, most people believe they only check their devices around 10 times a day.
So, what impact does this have on us?
More than we often realize.
Constantly checking your phone can hinder concentration and memory. A study from Nottingham Trent University in the UK and Keimyung University in South Korea suggests that checking your phone about 110 times a day may signal excessive or problematic usage.
“Phones and digital media stimulate our brains and activate reward pathways similar to those affected by drugs and alcohol. They create compulsive habits, leading us to check without thinking and to feel withdrawal symptoms when we can’t,” explained Anna Lembke, a psychiatry and addiction expert.
The article continues to delve deeper:
Research from Singapore Management University shows that frequent interruptions from checking devices can cause declines in attention and memory. Interestingly, the frequency of phone checks appears to be a better predictor of cognitive decline than overall screen time.
Always unlocking your phone forces your brain to switch tasks frequently, which can greatly reduce your ability to focus. Decades ago, computer scientist Gerald M. Weinberg cautioned that multitasking could diminish productivity by up to 80%.
This habit is widespread. A YouGov survey found that over half of Americans check their phones often during social gatherings, like meals with friends.
Furthermore, around one in four individuals admitted to checking their phone at least once during a 30-minute work meeting. Gloria Mark, a researcher at the University of California, Irvine, noted that after an interruption, it can take more than 25 minutes to regain focus.
To give your brain a break, consider taking a pause from technology.
However, be aware that after just 72 hours without a smartphone, German researchers at Heidelberg University observed changes in brain activity resembling patterns seen in those undergoing drug withdrawal.
This alone underscores the importance of taking breaks.
Source of information
Amaya Verde and Luis Melgar, “Why Constantly Checking Your Phone Depletes Your Concentration and Memory.”
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