At the beginning of the year, I changed all of the notification settings on my iPhone. Now, if I change the ring/silent switch to silent, my phone does nothing if I get a call or text message or any other notification. This change has been really nice.

Like most people, I used to have my phone set to vibrate if it was on the silent setting; however, I figured if I was some place where an audible ring was going to be a nuisance, then I probably shouldn’t be taking a phone call. So then, if I couldn’t take the call and had to wait to even check the voicemail, then I probably didn’t need to be alerted the instant it was received.

I’m sure you have been in a work meeting and have heard smartphones “silently” vibrating in pockets or on the table. It’s actually distracting. Not so much to you, but to the person who is receiving the alert. That person is no longer present. All of the sudden, with one silent vibration, his or her attention is no longer on the person speaking or the subject. His/her attention is now on the phone.

Who called me?
Should I reply with a text message and let them know I’m busy?
This will only take a second.

Of course, if you have all notifications on, your phone may also vibrate when it’s your turn to play games such as Candy Crush and Words with Friends. Then, there is a notification for each social media app. And another notification for emails… Is this disruption necessary?

I recently read an article that said smartphone users check their phones 150 times a day. WOW!!! Can you imagine doing anything else 150 times a day where it is not called an addiction?

• Imagine smoking 150 cigarettes a day
• Imagine eating 150 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups a day

I recognize not all addictions are unhealthy. So…

• Imagine randomly dropping to the floor and doing one sit-up or push-up 150 times a day
• Imagine stopping to take 150 random pictures a day

Anything else you can think of would probably be pretty disruptive. So why is it okay to check your smartphone and interrupt face-to-face time with your family, friends, or other humans, in general?

Is it okay to disrupt your time, your thoughts, and your interactions with others every 9.6 minutes to check your phone? (If you sleep 7 hours a night, your smartphone is disrupting your life every 6.8 minutes of the day.)

I like having my smartphone on silent – meaning there are no vibrations if a notification is received. I am less distracted. I am more present. And, I can focus on whoever or whatever is in front of me.

Read more on this topic:

• Web MD: Addicted to Your Smartphone? Here’s What to Do 
• ABC News: Cellphone Users Check Phones 150x/Day and Other Internet Fun Facts
• BuzzFeed: Here’s The Cold, Hard Proof That We Can’t Stop Checking Our Phones
• Huffington Post: tag “smartphone addiction”

At the beginning of the year, I changed all of the notification settings on my iPhone. Now, if I change the ring/silent switch to silent, my phone does nothing if I get a call or text message or any other notification. This change has been really nice.

Like most people, I used to have my phone set to vibrate if it was on the silent setting; however, I figured if I was some place where an audible ring was going to be a nuisance, then I probably shouldn’t be taking a phone call. So then, if I couldn’t take the call and had to wait to even check the voicemail, then I probably didn’t need to be alerted the instant it was received.

I’m sure you have been in a work meeting and have heard smartphones “silently” vibrating in pockets or on the table. It’s actually distracting. Not so much to you, but to the person who is receiving the alert. That person is no longer present. All of the sudden, with one silent vibration, his or her attention is no longer on the person speaking or the subject. His/her attention is now on the phone.

Who called me?
Should I reply with a text message and let them know I’m busy?
This will only take a second.

Of course, if you have all notifications on, your phone may also vibrate when it’s your turn to play games such as Candy Crush and Words with Friends. Then, there is a notification for each social media app. And another notification for emails… Is this disruption necessary?

I recently read an article that said smartphone users check their phones 150 times a day. WOW!!! Can you imagine doing anything else 150 times a day where it is not called an addiction?

• Imagine smoking 150 cigarettes a day.
• Imagine eating 150 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups a day.

I recognize not all addictions are unhealthy. So…

• Imagine randomly dropping to the floor and doing one sit-up or push-up 150 times a day.
• Imagine stopping to take 150 random pictures a day.

Anything else you can think of would probably be pretty disruptive. So why is it okay to check your smartphone and interrupt face-to-face time with your family, friends, or other humans, in general?

Is it okay to disrupt your time, your thoughts, and your interactions with others every 9.6 minutes to check your phone? (If you sleep 7 hours a night, your smartphone is disrupting your life every 6.8 minutes of the day.)

I like having my smartphone on silent – meaning there are no vibrations if a notification is received. I am less distracted. I am more present. And, I can focus on whoever or whatever is in front of me.

Read more on this topic:

• Kent State: Frequent Cell Phone Use Linked to Anxiety, Lower Grades and Reduced Happiness in Students, Kent State Research Shows (includes link to the scientific study)
• Web MD: Addicted to Your Smartphone? Here’s What to Do 
• ABC News: Cellphone Users Check Phones 150x/Day and Other Internet Fun Facts
• BuzzFeed: Here’s The Cold, Hard Proof That We Can’t Stop Checking Our Phones
• Huffington Post: tag “smartphone addiction”