Can’t get rid of your phone? You never turn it off and even at the cinema, you consult it several times during the film? What if you suffer from nomophobia? Here are some tips to get rid of this unhealthy addiction.
You will also be interested
[EN VIDÉO] Perfectly waterproof smartphones thanks to nanomaterials To make a material – such as the shell of a smartphone for example – super-hydrophobic, or perfectly waterproof, it is necessary to resort to sometimes complex strategies. Australian researchers seem, for their part, to have developed a cheap nanostructured coating which would have quite revolutionary non-wetting properties!
The nomophobia is the addiction to smart phone characterized by a disproportionate fear of being separated from it. This can result, for example, in anxiety when the battery is empty, without the possibility of recharging it immediately, or in the prolonged situation in an area without a network. At first it’s just a habit, but it can turn into a harmful addiction.
Indeed, the more time you spend on your phone, the less we are available for our loved ones, for interactions in real life. This can go a long way: depressive disorders, anxiety, problems with sleep, difficulty concentrating… This can affect anyone and it is more significant among young people. Adults who are very invested in their work may also be concerned, by constantly consulting emails for example.
The health crisis and successive confinements may have triggered or accentuated this trend in some of us. Indeed, in an anxiety-provoking health context, the slightest new information was scrutinized. Being alone at home, it was quite legitimate to spend a lot of time on the social networks. Now, on to real life!
When are you addicted to your smartphone?
A person is addicted to his portable when she consults it excessively, up to 50 times a day! But why are we doing this? We are used to being inundated with continuous information. We are afraid of missing something, be it a message or a notification from a application. This is called FOMO for “ fear of missing out “, in English.
How to pick up?
Of course, it is not a question of letting everything go overnight. For this to work, you have to go gradually. A good method is to set clear rules. It’s up to everyone to choose one and stick to it, then possibly add others. Here are some examples:
- do not leave the phone in the bedroom ;
- waiting until you have showered and eaten breakfast to check your phone;
- turn off the phone at 10 p.m. maximum to promote a good night’s sleep: blue light screens delays falling asleep;
- banish the telephone during meals, especially if they are taken together, as a couple, with family or friends;
- block notifications and alerts to avoid constant solicitation;
- set break times with access to the telephone: between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. for example.
As a family, parents must set an example for their children and adolescents. In case of difficulties in dropping out, do not hesitate to consult and get help in order to avoid isolation.
Interested in what you just read?
Subscribe to the newsletter Health question of the week : our answer to a question you ask yourself (more or less secretly). All our newsletters