The Danger of Phone Notifications

We are in a time now where virtually everyone in the developed world has some form of smartphone. And with that, we no longer just receive a notification for a call or text message, but for virtually anything we opt into be it apps, social media, games, emails, news, etc. One study showed that on average we deal with 63.5 notifications per day. Compare that to 30 years ago when someone maybe just took a few phone calls a day.

In this new world where our phones are constantly begging for our attention, how does this affect us as people and a society? Though technology helps with many things, if we aren’t in control, it will control us. 

The Danger of Phone Notifications

We’ve all been there before. You’re in the middle of a work meeting, or maybe you’re out at dinner with friends, when your phone goes off with a notification. And even though you know you shouldn’t, you can’t help but take a quick look.

But what you may not realize is that those notifications can be detrimental to your mental health. Studies have shown that even a brief glance at your phone can significantly decrease your focus and productivity. And if you’re constantly getting interrupted by notifications, it can contribute to some serious mental health problems, like anxiety and depression.

When you think of how we react to our phone notifications, it is a little embarrassing. It is as if they are our masters ringing a bell whenever they want our attention no matter what we are doing. And we give them that power! This causes divided attention as we try and multitask throughout our entire day.

What many do not realize is that human beings can’t actually multitask. That is a myth. All we can really do is jump back and forth between multiple things which causes our performance to suffer in the things we are trying to multitask. This is why it is dangerous to try and text and drive for example. You make more mistakes texting but even worse you can cause an accident.

Jumping back and forth between multiple tasks and conversations is overwhelming for the brain. Imagine being in a group and having four different people taking turns talking to you giving one sentence at a time and you have to stay on track with each conversation and respond appropriately. That is essentially what is happening with our ongoing text conversations.

They cause us to perform worse at school, work, and life. They harm relationships because when you should be enjoying dinner together, both of you are on your phones looking at videos or talking to someone else. Or even worse, one partner is talking while the other one keeps checking their phone whenever they get a notification. This causes resentment in a relationship and boredom. 

So next time your phone goes off, resist the urge to look. It might just save you from a lot of unnecessary stress.

How Can We Regain Control of Our Phones?

As we have said, phones are amazing tools and it is not realistic to just get rid of them and be able to function in life as we know it. We need to learn how to be in control of our phones so that they don’t control us and have a healthy relationship with them. Here are some ways that we can regain control of our phones:

1. Set Times to Not Be On Your Phone: These should be times when you need to be present such as when you are with family, driving, or at work possibly. You should also limit your phone time in the morning and before sleeping as that contributes to more stress as well. Notice when you feel anxiety from your phone or when you are trying to multitask and tell yourself you won’t look at your phone during those times. It is easier to just put your phone somewhere else or turn it off during those times. You will have some separation anxiety at first but that just is a sign that you need to do it.
2. Delete Apps You Don’t Use and Turn Off Unnecessary Notifications: There are probably many apps you really don’t need or use on your phone. Every unnecessary notification should be removed. So delete those apps and go into your notification settings to turn off notifications for other apps that aren’t time sensitive. Really, all you need notifications for are calls and texts just like in the old days. It’s doubtful that any app notification is urgent enough that you have to stop what you’re doing and look. That is just how the app makers make more money.
3. Batch Together Your Notifications: What this means is either setting specific times to view all your notifications or specifically setting your phone to deliver notifications at specific times. This is very effective and in fact they even performed a study showing that batching notifications 3 times a day reduced stress and increased overall well-being. They also found that turning all notifications off all-together increased stress because of fear of missing out on something important. So we still need to see what is happening but making it less frequent and more predictable puts you in control and reduces stress. On the iPhone you can enable this function by going to Settings< Notifications< Scheduled Summary.
4. Practice Ignoring Notifications: This sounds weird but it teaches your brain to not respond so quickly to your phone. So when you get a notification and feel the urge to look, recognize the urge and resist it. This takes more mental discipline at the start but when you are already planning to do it and you get a notification, you will remember your plan. The more you do this the easier it will become, until you will eventually barely be affected by the notifications. You will just recognize them and look at them when you want to. 

In general, you want to notice when and how your phone is causing you anxiety and start there. Every situation is a little bit different. So identify where there is obsessive or addictive behavior with your smartphone and start to limit or discipline yourself. Remember that there was a time not too long ago when no one had smartphones and everything was still fine. Nothing is as important as your own mental health so take care of it!