Your smartphone is your connection to just about anything and everything. Think about it: in the palm of your hand you have access to news, sports, music, video, social media and messaging. We are connected in ways that we haven’t yet begun to fully comprehend. While smartphones are meant to help us be more efficient, that type of access can also be habit forming; almost addicting. You’re almost afraid to leave home without your phone, and you will routinely pat yourself down in panic if you can’t find it.

Overuse can also be detrimental to relationships. As we now snub significant people to use our smartphone. Now I’m not insinuating that we should we stop using our smartphones, that’s just crazy talk. It’s about moderation; a mobile device is meant to provide assistance in your life, not take it over completely.

1. Create no phone zones – It’s true; there is a time and a place for everything, including phone usage. Setting up areas free from phones – such as meal time, family game or movie nights and (especially) the bathroom – are a great way to be forced to stop surfing. Your phone is dirty enough as it is, you don’t need to tweet while you, you know. Having friends over? Set out a basket to put their phones in so you can actually spend some quality face-to-face time, instead of posting about it.

2.Change your bedtime routine – I use my smartphone as my alarm clock. While nothing screams “mobile addict” about that function, that accessibility could quite literally keep you up at night. You’d be tempted to watch a video, play games or browse the internet. There’s even the risk of “sleep texting.” To avoid trouble, keep your smartphone on the other side of the room. You’ll be less tempted to reach for it if you’re too snug in your bed to get up. The added bonus is that once the alarm goes off, you have to get up to turn it off, reducing the risk of hitting snooze or sleeping in.

3.Demote your notifications – The sound of an incoming message can be a source of excitement, like the sound of an ice cream truck rolling through the neighborhood. It can also be distracting, so why not set up profile notifications? You can set your phone to a variety of audible or silent profiles and even create custom contact notifications. That way you can enjoy peace and quiet unless an extremely important phone call or message comes in.

4.Take a break – Some weekends call for a complete disconnect. You want to talk? Come on over for dinner. Want to play a game? Dust off your football boots and go to the field. Again, you lived before the age of mobile devices; you can get back to the good old days now and then. You don’t need a phone to get through awkward silences or boredom, you can fight back with your own imagination. Put the phone down, lift your head up and immerse yourself with life that is happening around you. (As I type this, I can hear my dad’s voice telling me to turn off my NES.)

5.‘Apputation’ – This may be going a bit extreme, but we are in desperate times aren’t we? Apps are meant to provide shortcuts, easy access and mindless entertainment. It’s the source of the thought “oh, let me just check…” You tap through sport scores, movie reviews and social media while you’re cooking, next thing you know your food is burning and so is your house. Apputation (App+amputation) is a cute way of saying: Suck it up and uninstall apps that give you access to things you can get through a browser. Chances are, you’ll be less likely to check them as often.

Your smartphone can be your constant companion, but it shouldn’t have complete control over you. I know that it will keep you connected, productive and efficient, even if your face isn’t perpetually glued to it. It should make your life easier, not non-existent. What do you do to keep your smartphone addiction in check?

i think i need to try number 4. the funniest part is i get angry when am talking to people but they are pressing their phone

at least you should have added the source where you copied this from. anyway I just realised my indomie noodles just burnt blue black in the kitchen nothing remain to eat. everything is chuck coal. I need to give this phone some space.

lol give them a breathing space abeg. it is obvious we are all getting addicted to our smartphone.

Joel3:
at least you should have added the source where you copied this from. anyway I just realised my indomie noodles just burnt blue black in the kitchen nothing remain to eat. everything is chuck coal. I need to give this phone some space.

Nice write up

what is happening. I tried my luck cooking beans. guess what? the beans is also burning. not funny. this is not about the smart phone but nairaland itself.

if you have ever burnt your food while on nairaland click like. if you are cooking beans an hungry nairaland is the place to spend the time. when the bean will get done you won't know.

Nice tips.. . I just can't stop....OK bye

very good

Joel3:
what is happening. I tried my luck cooking beans. guess what? the beans is also burning. not funny. this is not about the smart phone but nairaland itself.

if you have ever burnt your food while on nairaland click like. if you are cooking beans an hungry nairaland is the place to spend the time. when the bean will get done you won't know.

There's also an app on play store that keeps track of how long you use your phone and helps you reduce your phone usage. I can't recall it now. I once had it.

A guy once told me "Iyke, don't touch your phone for 25 minutes and I will buy a bottle of orijin".Mehn, I dropped the phone because I wanted to prove to him that I ain't an addict and i must drink my beer. After 3minutes, I got a notification... I just ignored. Got some other notifications in the 7th... Omo, one kain force just move me to pick my phone press. I couldn't resist na so I told the guy fvck you and your beer.

Nice one

iyke926:
A guy once told me "Iyke, don't touch your phone for 25 minutes and I will buy a bottle of orijin".Mehn, I dropped the phone because I wanted to prove to him that I ain't an addict and i must drink my beer. After 3minutes, I got a notification... I just ignored. Got some other notifications in the 7th... Omo, one kain force just move me to pick my phone press. I couldn't resist na so I told the guy fvck you and your beer.

if na me, my bro I for do am, drink the origin self, clean mouth. Abeg who go fit buy me one bottle of origin?

lol very true

Joel3:
what is happening. I tried my luck cooking beans. guess what? the beans is also burning. not funny. this is not about the smart phone but nairaland itself.

if you have ever burnt your food while on nairaland click like. if you are cooking beans an hungry nairaland is the place to spend the time. when the bean will get done you won't know.

hehe you no really wan drink the origin be that

iyke926:
A guy once told me "Iyke, don't touch your phone for 25 minutes and I will buy a bottle of orijin".Mehn, I dropped the phone because I wanted to prove to him that I ain't an addict and i must drink my beer. After 3minutes, I got a notification... I just ignored. Got some other notifications in the 7th... Omo, one kain force just move me to pick my phone press. I couldn't resist na so I told the guy fvck you and your beer.

make we block for abete

Wisdomkosi:
if na me, my bro I for do am, drink the origin self, clean mouth. Abeg who go fit buy me one bottle of origin?

babafrey:
hehe you no really wan drink the origin be that

I wanted oo. Sometimes I no blame Adam and Eve for eating the forbidden fruit.

really? i would like to have taht app. please post the name when you can recall it

miraclewonder:
There's also an app on play store that keeps track of how long you use your phone and helps you reduce your phone usage. I can't recall it now. I once had it.

hehe... temptation of the highest level

iyke926:

I wanted oo. Sometimes I no blame Adam and Eve for eating the forbidden fruit.

At least food is more important than a smart-phone.

we concur

Emeka71:
At least food is more important than a smart-phone.

babafrey:
make we block for abete

which state abete dey?

abete na jungle my brother. where bad guys do all the bad stuffs

Wisdomkosi:
which state abete dey?

food over smartphone when you are hungry

Emeka71:
At least food is more important than a smart-phone.

babafrey:
abete na jungle my brother. where bad guys do all the bad stuffs

. Who jungle don help my brother?

ask all our musicians that brag about coming out of the ghetto

Wisdomkosi:
. Who jungle don help my brother?

miraclewonder:
There's also an app on play store that keeps track of how long you use your phone and helps you reduce your phone usage. I can't recall it now. I once had it.

dear you are right, the app is very wonderful. Anybody that truly want to stop smartphone addiction should read about the app here cos it has truly helped me to monitor how much time I spend daily on smartphone and I have reduced the excesses
http://highteknology.com/2015/08/how-to-curb-smartphone-usage-excesses.html

Ok, noted

the name of the app is quality time

babafrey:
really? i would like to have taht app. please post the name when you can recall it

my addiction to my phone is extraordinary. i can decide to sleep by 10, check my phone by 9:59 and end up pressing my phone till 12 am

It depends on what you are using your phone for. If you are busy doing something else you won't be pressing phone now and then

well thats true

Orator2383:
It depends on what you are using your phone for. If you are busy doing something else you won't be pressing phone now and then

babafrey:
really? i would like to have taht app. please post the name when you can recall it

You can check out this two :
Quality app
Off time app.

They are all available on play store.