Bad News: Taking a Break Won't Stop Your Phone Addiction

Technology continues to take control of our lives. Many have tried to stop this by trying to curb their dependence on electronic devices.

But according to an online survey by augmented reality company Mojo Vision, this “digital detox” might not be as helpful as they think. The company asked over 1000 people about their attitudes on tech distraction and how they tried to be less dependant on tech devices.

31% are concerned tech has negatively affected our ability to connect with each other.

About 54% said cutting back on devices such as smartphone DID NOT lead to them spending less time on their devices, or they were unsure if it had that effect. Additionally, one out of three said their usage either went up when they began using the device again or it didn’t have any effect.

31% are concerned tech has negatively affected our ability to connect with each other. 65% said consumer technology has become intrusive, and they are concerned it will play a more dominant role in our lives. Three out of four say social media is to blame for excessive time spent on phones or devices.

Mojo Vision’s survey found top three concerns people cited about overusing devices:

It hurts the quality of interactions - 65%
It keeps us from being present - 63%
It keeps people from interacting with one another - 62%

Unstoppable

According to the survey, cutting devices out of our lives is not a long-term solution. Respondents have tried to limit their screen time including:

Reducing the number of notifications they get - 46%
Putting their phones on a “do not disturb” setting - 44%
Designating “no phone or device” times - 37%

Still, 32% of respondents say taking away devices doesn’t solve the problem because the issue is with people rather than devices themselves. The survey said people are so reliant on tech and the positive changes it has brought that it is not realistic to keep away from their devices.

More than a third of people said there is no solution to tech distraction because we’ll become more reliant on our devices. However, half of respondents said they predict tech devices will evolve to better fit our lives, rather than people changing their habits to cut tech’s distractions.

Tech Companies’ Solutions

Now that the public are more concerned with the negative effects of extensive screen time, tech companies have tried to come up with a few solutions:

In June 2018, Apple has a feature in iOS 12 that allows users to monitor how much time they spend on their devices and apps.
Google rolled out a Digital Wellbeing tool to help limit screen time in November 2018.
Facebook and Instagram also introduced tools to show users how much time they’re spending on the platforms.

In conclusion, almost 40% of people say the only long-term answer to curbing device distraction is to rely on gadgets less. One out of four say the ball is on the tech companies’ court to make devices less distracting.

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Source: CNET

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