The smartphone is one of the greatest innovations of our lifetime. It is also one of the biggest sources of mindless distraction to afflict us. For the first time in human history, access to all of the information created and accumulated by humanity is available to anyone, instantly, in the palm of their hand. With voice assistant apps like Google Now and Siri, we don’t even have to press buttons or type anymore. We can contact anyone in the world instantly. It is understandable that this kind of power can be very addictive. There is a lot of great, useful information out there. There is also a lot of things that are totally mindless at best and actively destructive to our intelligence at worst.

One response to this is to become a Luddite, shun the new technology and go on as if it never existed. After all, everyone got by just fine before these things were ever invented, right? Maybe, but these people are discarding awesome power to benefit themselves and others just because of the potential distraction introduced by this technology. The intelligent thing to do is to find ways to keep the awesome power and benefits of smartphones and reduce the potential negative side effects. Here are just a few ways to do this.

Restrict notifications:
Every app you install seems to want to constantly send you notifications about every little thing that happens. App developers think everything they want to tell you is the most important thing for you to hear. Fortunately, these settings can be adjusted, at least some extent. Be ruthless with this, you can always allow notifications again if you miss something important. Look at your phone and see what notifications you get the most often. Turn off anything that isn’t critical. Despite claims from business and self help types, the human brain cannot multitask. Instead, it constantly switches focus between different things. This takes time. Checking that facebook notification while you’re working on something important incurs a task switching cost. It takes time for your focus to get back where it should be. Fewer notifications and interruptions allow you to focus on one thing better and get more done. Similarly, don’t use a smartwatch. These exist mainly to put more notifications in front of you, to distract you further from whatever you were doing.

Learn things:
Useful things, not cat pictures. Apps like Duolingo allow you to learn foreign languages. Coursera and similar apps allow you take courses from universities all over the world for free using just your phone. Depending what course you take, some, like computer programming, may require a PC, but you can at least watch the lecture videos on your phone when you have some down time. The Ted Talks app also has a lot of great, entertaining and educational videos that you can watch for free. There are many apps including Kindle, Overdrive, and Google Play Books that allow you to read books on your phone. Check your local library website, they probably have a free ebook and audiobook lending service that you can take advantage of.

Train your brain:
There are many apps available to train your brain in various ways and potentially increase your intelligence. Dual N Back training has been shown in some studies (and disputed in others) to actually increase your IQ with regular use. Basically, it increases your working memory, the RAM of your brain. Whether this can be scientifically proven or not, try a few sessions and you will actually feel your brain almost getting sore like a muscle after a workout. There are other brain training apps that focus on things like memory, attention, pattern recognition, and other aspects of cognitive enhancement. Try a few and see what works for you.

Be active and healthy:
Apple and Google have both added health and fitness tracking capabilities to their phone operating systems. Adding an external device such as a Fitbit tracker that pairs with the phone works even better. Track your steps, active minutes, flights of stairs, sleep, and other pieces of data, depending what app and device you use. This provides a good motivation to get up and be more active each day.

Put it down when you’re driving:
In most places, this is the law. Even if it isn’t, don’t be stupid. Remember that multitasking is a myth. If you’re paying attention to the phone, you aren’t paying attention to the road. Put it where you can’t hear or reach it. Use bluetooth and voice controls if you have to make or receive calls. Don’t pull the phone out at red lights. You don’t want to be that jerk sitting there getting honked at when the light changes. You don’t want a ticket, and you don’t want to get into an accident and kill or hurt someone. Intelligent people don’t use their phones in the car.

Leave it behind sometimes:
Despite restricting notifications, some things, like text messages and phone calls will still come through. Depending what you’re doing, this can be an unwanted interruption. Further, even if you’re doing something useful, the temptation to pull out your phone and do something can be overwhelming. Idle time has its benefits to the brain. People aren’t comfortable with this, so they always seek distraction. Don’t rely on willpower, it will fail you. I like to go outside and take a walk in nature and leave my phone at home. Notice the real world. Let your brain think thoughts. This is part of where intelligence comes from. Leave it in your pocket in social situations and actually spend time with the people you’re with.

These are just a few examples of ways to use your phone intelligently. Basically, the thing to keep in mind when you use your phone is whether you are doing something useful or just distracting yourself. We aren’t robots, so occasional mindless distraction is fun and useful to relieve stress, but avoid the technology addiction that so many people seem all too willing and eager to subscribe to.

Credit: http://www.wearobo.com/2015/12/these-are-things-intelligent-people-do.html

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Phone is an accessory to make life more easier. it enhances our daily productive activities.

Unfortunately, it has led to so many unpleasant developments

eg. pornography.
Internet fraud made easier and a host of others even death in some circumstances.

By the way, I think the poster above me his on biafran WEED.

How do you explain copying the entire posting rules on nairaland in your comment.

D 4G posters above me sha, ehen back to the topic, I think "nairalanding" should also be among

wearobo:
The smartphone is one of the greatest innovation.
Useful things, not cat pictures. Apps like Duolingo allow you to learn foreign languages. Coursera and similar apps allow you take courses from universities all over the world for free using just your phone. Depending what course you take, some, like computer programming, may require a PC, but you can at least watch the lecture videos on your phone when you have some down time. The Ted Talks app also has a lot of great, entertaining and educational videos that you can watch for free. There are many apps including Kindle, Overdrive, and Google Play Books that allow you to read books on your phone. Check your local library website, they probably have a free ebook and audiobook lending service that you can take advantage of.
Train your brain:
Apple and Google have both added health and fitness tracking capabilities to their phone operating systems. Adding an external device such as a Fitbit tracker that pairs with the phone works even better. Track your steps, active minutes, flights of stairs, sleep, and other pieces of data, depending what app and device you use. This provides a good motivation to get up and be more active each day.
Put it down when you’re driving:
In most places, this is the law. Even if it isn’t, don’t be stupid. Remember that multitasking is a myth. If you’re paying attention to the phone, you aren’t paying attention to the road. Put it where you can’t hear or reach it. Use bluetooth and voice controls if you have to make or receive calls. Don’t pull the phone out at red lights. You don’t want to be that jerk sitting there getting honked at when the light changes. You don’t want a ticket, and you don’t want to get into an accident and kill or hurt someone. Intelligent people don’t use their phones in the car.

The part that interest me the most.

learn with it

Gud

Owk

use it for nairaland

watch porn.

I couldn't vote for Jonathan to continue cos I detested what my country was turning into under his administration so I never voted..
...
anytime I state this fact the first question I get is... "why didn't U vote for APC?"
...
I voted for APC in the Lagos Governorship election but didn't in the presidential elections not because I disliked their Ideology or mantra ( I craved for 'change') but because I couldn't convince myself (for d sake of my present and future family) to vote for Buhari because..
..
1...Buhari was a former President, former minister of petroleum and so many other top offices he held back then and yet he still tags himself as 'poor', borrowing money then to buy nomination forms. I'm not saying he should have embezzled our money but...for God's sake, it takes wisdom, vision and creativity to be a rich and successful man. Buhari couldn't create an empire with the "little" salary he made those days then I strongly don't believe he can change d fortunes of Nigeria.
it was shameful during asset declaration when I saw the wealth our VP has amassed for himself and his family, comparing it with that provided by our president who is meant to lead us out of brokeness.
..
2...Buhari has been contesting for presidency since 2003 and all those while as an aspirant, he never influenced katsina, Nigeria or Africa In any positive way, (he has no known charity foundation in his name), the only time one hears of Buhari then is when he makes Violence Inciting comments that leads to loss of lives especially in the north....
....
please fellow Nigerians, don't expect much from our president, he doesn't really have much to offer just pray for God to give him WISDOM and POWER not to lead us astray...
...Remember Nigeria is our country.

I use mine to play baba ijebu and nairabet... For the amebo i make 1,500,000 naira monthly in a bad month... Staking 200k daily on a single game of atleast 1.60 odds or above, i dont play two games in one bet never.

It's cool

nairaland is a haven for nigerian internet trolls

ok

Ok

[size=30pt]USE IT TO STREAM VIDEOS ON eXVIDEO.COM[/size]

I bought my phone because of erotic chats and mojo

This is cool

I didn't even read that long trash but somehow i just know i am smarter than the author of that thrash .

Make money with it and also improve the IQ by adding to the useful information acquired .
In other news
Hi Nairalanders , your votes are needed to overturn the more than 1500 votes that they are using to lead my baby Enyijuoluwa Aviela Adekoya in the #CussonsBabyMoments competition . I believe with your votes the gap is nothing kindly click on this link https://cussonsbabymoments.com/details/578. and vote. Thanks

Very resourceful information.

front page!!!

What about the dummies, what do they do with their phones?.........

Yup

Reads Nairaland

Intelligent people always visit NAIRALAND .

take style watch Indecency movies yet stil dey form scent

omeke12:
I couldn't vote for Jonathan to continue cos I detested what my country was turning into under his administration so I never voted..
...
anytime I state this fact the first question I get is... "why didn't U vote for APC?"
...
I voted for APC in the Lagos Governorship election but didn't in the presidential elections not because I disliked their Ideology or mantra ( I craved for 'change') but because I couldn't convince myself (for d sake of my present and future family) to vote for Buhari because..
..
1...Buhari was a former President, former minister of petroleum and so many other top offices he held back then and yet he still tags himself as 'poor', borrowing money then to buy nomination forms. I'm not saying he should have embezzled our money but...for God's sake, it takes wisdom, vision and creativity to be a rich and successful man. Buhari couldn't create an empire with the "little" salary he made those days then I strongly don't believe he can change d fortunes of Nigeria.
it was shameful during asset declaration when I saw the wealth our VP has amassed for himself and his family, comparing it with that provided by our president who is meant to lead us out of brokeness.
..
2...Buhari has been contesting for presidency since 2003 and all those while as an aspirant, he never influenced katsina, Nigeria or Africa In any positive way, (he has no known charity foundation in his name), the only time one hears of Buhari then is when he makes Violence Inciting comments that leads to loss of lives especially in the north....
....
please fellow Nigerians, don't expect much from our president, he doesn't really have much to offer just pray for God to give him WISDOM and POWER not to lead us astray...
...Remember Nigeria is our country.

nairaland mods suppose dey move sm comment go politics section o