Hi, my name is Pebbles, and I am a social media/phone addict. I don’t say this lightly or to make fun of people who are in recovery programs that use this introduction. I use it with all honesty and sincerity in saying that I’m finally at a point where I’m willing to admit that my phone and social media use has become an addiction. How concerned am I? I recently made this post on Instagram.
What Is Addiction?
Before you dismiss your phone or social media use as addiction, let’s get the definition and see if it resonates with you. I know it did with me. The Meriam-Webster Dictionary defines addiction as:
“a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence : the state of being addicted.”
For me, this tracks, and I can say that I am definitely feeling the effects of my phone use. I’ve noticed my anxiety increasing, my attention span shortening, and I’ve been getting overwhelmed much more easily when faced with several tasks. And those are just a few of the glaring effects.
Enough Is Enough
But I think the one thing that has made me really want to make some changes is the fact that I have a baby in the house, and in addition to my own brain, I worry about the development of hers.
My niece, her 9-month old daughter, and I live together and the other day she was keeping me company in the kitchen while I cleaned. I then became very aware of how quickly I jumped for my phone when I got a text. It was then that I decided that I had an issue, but also that I was going to make sure my phone is on vibrate when I’m with her so she doesn’t get like the rest of us jumping when we hear that sound.
What’s The Solution?
There are a lot of different ways to approach the issue. These are a few from the website Health. They also have a lot of other information about the symptoms, effects, and more.
- Turn off your phone’s notifications.
- Downloading a tracking app that can show you the amount of screen time you’ve had.
- Remove your phone from your bedroom to help you sleep.
In addition to the experts, I got some great suggestions from people in the comments of my video. Here, I share 7 that I think may be helpful.
No Tech Tuesday
This comment came from Jocelyn on Instagram: “I use to do No Technology Tuesday when my daughter was younger… It was a little bit of an adjustment but we both grew to appreciate and enjoy knowing we didn’t feel obligated to scroll, or w.e the case may be. If you start small with something like that, it may give you the break you need to recognize you CAN do without it .. & make it a habit💁🏼♀️ No Tech Tuesday 🤗”
