Our phones are supposed to be addicting to us – but how can we break away?

47% of Americans are hooked on their phones, and the common person checks their phone every 12 minutes, or roughly 80 times per day.

Picking your phone up can turn into a habit as data shows that half of all screen time sessions begin inside 3 minutes of the last. This can be a habit that could be hard to interrupt, especially when social media algorithms are built and designed to maintain us on the platform for so long as possible. This is generally done through suggestion algorithms, which collect data on what persons are watching, clicking, liking, commenting, sharing, buying, and even where they reside. All of those aspects are ranked to provide you the content that shows up in your feed, which in turn causes our minds to release dopamine in response to stimuli from being on our phones.

For instance, while you go to post a photograph on Instagram, your mind is rewarded with the likes and comments from your mates. Over time this causes our brains to associate that feeling of validation and gratification with our phones, causing us to slowly develop an addiction to social media and our phones.

“Social media addiction primarily stems from the human need for connection and validation, with platforms providing fast gratification through likes and comments. This could be especially enticing for those with low self-esteem. Paradoxically, this addiction often worsens feelings of isolation and inadequacy, as users find themselves in a cycle of searching for validation online, yet feeling more disconnected in point of fact. The constant exposure to idealized content results in harmful comparisons, impacting real-life satisfaction, relationships, and mental well-being,” explains Alexandrea Day, CEO of the Neurotech company MetaBrain Labs.

These algorithms, plus phones being addictive usually, and low self-esteem issues create the proper storm of people who find themselves depending on and hooked on their screens.

Our phones function a portal to hook up with our social world. Nowadays, we spend most of our time on cell phones, either texting, scrolling through social media or messaging friends. Previous avenues for socializing were places, now they’re online. With younger generations growing up in an increasingly digital world, it means for a lot of the one practical options for constructing a community outside of college is online.

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“Social media addiction particularly affects younger generations because of their ongoing identity development, making them more vulnerable to the influential messaging on these platforms. To handle this, it’s vital to foster critical media literacy, enabling young people to discern and evaluate online content critically. Moreover, nurturing open communication and support systems might help them contextualize their online experiences. Encouraging healthy online habits, like setting boundaries for social media use and promoting offline activities, can also be crucial. While delaying the onset of social media engagement could be helpful, equipping young individuals with the obligatory tools and skills for responsible digital navigation is important as they mature and their identities solidify,” Day shares.

Very like vaping, alcohol consumption, food consumption or drug use, our phones could be as addicting and damaging. 

Day continues, “By way of behavior and treatment, addiction to social media shares similarities with other types of addiction, like substance abuse or gambling. The core of our treatment approach focuses on addressing and reworking the underlying self-defeating thoughts that fuel addictive behaviors. Although the method is complex because of the customarily interwoven nature of those beliefs, with dedication, individuals can shift their perceptions about themselves. By replacing negative beliefs with empowering ones, it’s possible to beat various types of addiction, whether it’s to social media, substances, or gambling. This transformation in mindset is crucial for effective and lasting recovery.”

To handle social media addiction and phone addiction, MetaBrain Labs can offer people an answer. They take an approach often called mindset shifting, which differs from traditional methods in addressing phone and social media addiction. 

“Our company’s methodology diverges significantly from traditional approaches in tackling phone and social media addiction. On the core of our strategy is the idea that our minds, which frequently react impulsively, shape our behaviors, sometimes resulting in addictive patterns. Traditional methods typically deal with controlling or restricting behavior directly. In contrast, we emphasize understanding and reworking the underlying thought processes. We guide users to tune into their inner voices, uncovering the deep-seated “programs” that influence their actions. This might range from easy triggers like boredom, to complex issues equivalent to an absence of familial acceptance and a deep-rooted desire for validation, especially critical during personal development phases. By identifying and reframing these thought patterns, we address the basis explanation for the addictive behavior, offering a more introspective and sustainable solution,” Day states.

The pervasive issue of phone and social media addiction underscores a critical challenge in contemporary society. This addiction, driven by a fancy interplay of technology, psychological needs, and societal influences, just isn’t only a matter of habit but a mirrored image of deeper emotional and cognitive processes. MetaBrain Labs’ approach of mindset shifting offers an answer, specializing in the basis causes of addiction. By understanding and reshaping thought patterns, their method addresses addiction at its core, providing a sustainable path to recovery. This approach is especially vital in an era where digital connectivity is ubiquitous, impacting individuals’ mental health and well-being.