Mindfulness to Control Phone Addiction

While phones and other screens undoubtedly make our lives easier, there are significant and serious downsides to overuse. Many adults spend eight-plus hours a day in front of a screen and children average over six hours a day. It’s estimated that 80% of us check our phones first thing in the morning.  Many bring their phones to bed, and texting at mealtimes, while watching children at the playground, in boardrooms and elsewhere is common.

Sherry Turkle, PhD, a professor of Social Studies of Science and Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, cautions that technology changes who we are, how we behave, and how we relate to each other.

Tony Fadell, co-inventor of the iPhone, says the advent of the phone “unleashed a beast.” A former product manager at Google, Tristan Harris, believes phones have “hijacked our brains,” making us feel controlled and manipulated.

Therapist Susan Pollak believes we need to reclaim our brains and control how we relate to technology so it doesn’t control us. Changing habits is never easy, she warns, but strive for balance. She suggests mindfulness strategies including deep breathing, bodily awareness, and reflection. Breathing, she says, can be used like a surfboard to steady yourself and fight the urge to grab your phone.  “See if you can ride the urge of your need to check your phone more than you really need to.”

The best way parents can help their children control their screen time, advises Pollak, is to get a grip on their own addiction.