Parents and teens alike are trading in their smartphones for "dumber" models to help stay offline.
Adults and teens concerned about their screen time are turning in their smartphones for “dumber” models.
Buried in the settings of many smartphones is the option to look up how much on average you are staring at your phone per day.
It can bring an uncomfortable realisation, that what was supposed to be a useful piece of technology has become an obsession.
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According to a study by Harvard University, using social networking sites lights up the same part of the brain that is also triggered when taking an addictive substance. This has raised concerns about phone habits among youth.
In the UK, research by Ofcom estimates that around a quarter of children aged five to seven years old now have their own smartphone.
Links have been shown in some studies between use of social media and a negative effect on mental health - especially in children.
I looked into this before, but I found the options were too stripped down.
Ultimately I need:
Maps
Music streaming
Web browser
Email
Wallet functionality
Then there are miscellaneous apps that I need as well, some that don’t have browser functionality (local bike rental app) or something like a workout tracker.
Thing is, if you start adding functionality for the above then it’s just a regular smart phone and there’s nothing stopping you using the apps you’re trying to avoid :/
... using social networking sites lights up the same part of the brain that is also triggered when taking an addictive substance.
I can absolutely believe this. When I was having trouble quitting nicotine one of the ways I'd distract myself was to just sit and scroll bullshit on my phone. I can say without a doubt that it was hitting some of the same spots as the addiction I was trying to quit, for sure
Phones still pre-infected with anti-libre software, software we don't control.
When's the last time Tor, OBS, NewPipe or F-Droid abused us, exploited us? Never, they don't fail to include a libre software license text file, like AGPL.
After ten months of waiting I finally got my cyberdeck with 4g modem and have started to migrate my communication over to it. I'll start leaving the house without a phone soon.
If you're interested in pairing down the functionality of your current phone, the app Freedom can be used to block specific apps for a set amount of time. Self-control is a limited resource, and it takes the need to use willpower out of your hands.
I only use Lemmy with turned off scores and it still is somewhat above just a habit. It really makes wonders for being not addicted though when you don’t see if someone gives you points/likes or not. That was always what fucked with my brain the most and for me it is a single thing that changes addiction to just a habit.
Somehow I've never understood smartphone addiction. I'm 18 and my friends have in excess of 8 hours screen time per day. Somehow over the past week the most i have is 6, with 5 hours being a timer so i can do tests in exam conditions. Other than that I really don't use my phone.