We live in a time where our phones are basically attached to our hands. We never leave the house without our phone, we are dependent on portable chargers, and we must Instagram our food before touching it. Although technology is fantastic, it can still cause us to be rude in public and develop bad habits. Let’s look at some of the worse habits that are warning signs you’re addicted to your phone.
Walking While Looking at Your Phone
You’re strolling down the street looking at your phone instead of where you’re going. It might not seem like a bad thing to do, but it is. Not only is it taking your attention away from where you are looking when walking, but it can also cause you to walk into people, poles, or worse, traffic. Last year pedestrian deaths increased by 11%, and that is partially due to people walking around looking at their phones. When you’re strolling on the street keep your eyes in front of you.
Listening to Headphones
Listening to your headphones on the train or bus isn’t the problem, but it is the volume in which you listen to your phone. Loud tunes are not only distracting to the people surrounding you, but it can also cause ear damage. Try to turn the sound down a little and be respectable to the people around you.
Looking at Your Phone Before Bed – Signs You’re Addicted to Your Phone
We are all guilty of this, but did you know that looking at your phone before going to bed could be harming your sleep schedule. Our phones give off a blue light that effects the melatonin in our bodies, which means it can be harder for us to go to bed at night. Help yourself out by giving yourself a curfew for looking at your phone or changing the light mode on your phone, so it makes the blue light disappeared.
Using Your Phone While Driving
This is probably the worst thing you could potentially do. Using your phone while driving is not only harmful and dangerous but also against the law in many states. Driving takes 100% of your attention, and when you are texting or talking to someone on your phone, your attention is divided. In 2015 distracted driving caused 391,000 injuries and 3,477 deaths. One-fourth of those accidents were due to cell phone use. When you get into the car, turn your phone on the driving mode, that way you won’t be tempted to look if a text pops up.
Using Your Phone at Dinner
It’s always lovely to sit down to dinner, munch on some food, and scroll through Instagram, but if you are eating with a spouse or friend, it is also incredibly rude and could be hurting your relationship. Looking at your phone can indicate that you’re bored with the person or conversation or have better things to do, which could hurt someone’s feelings. Instead, be in the present moment and tuck your phone away until your meal is finished.
Choosing Your Phone Over Friends – Signs You’re Addicted to Your Phone
After a long day it might seem nice to stay in, look at your phone and chill, but after a while isolating yourself from friends and family could be a bad thing. Being isolated can cause you to be depressed and lonely, so the next time a friend asks to hang out, ditch the phone and socialize for a bit.
Choosing Text Over Talk
Texting is super simple to do, and a lot of people don’t like talking on the phone, but research shows that talking on the phone can help a person relieve stress. Texting isn’t personable and instead is a quick and straightforward fix. When chatting on the phone, you can connect more to the person you are talking to, and you might like the conversation you had.
Always Checking in On Work Email
Some of us are workaholics and having our phone with us could make it worse. Checking your work email doesn’t allow you to have a work/life balance, and instead, you are always connected to work. This can lead to stress, which no one wants to deal with. Try not to have your work email linked to your phone. If it needs to be there give yourself limits and boundaries when it comes to checking your email when you’re off the clock.
Not Focusing on the Moment – Signs You’re Addicted to Your Phone
If you are addicted to your phone, it can cause you not to miss important details. Checking Instagram or wanting to take a selfie continually can make you look conceded and bored with the people you are around. Try to enjoy the moment you are in instead of documenting everything.
Not Being Able to Focus
Having your phone in front of you can cause you to be easily distracted and not focus on the current task at hand, this is especially bad if you’re at work or school. With a phone nearby can you honestly say you are 100% focused on what you are doing instead of thinking about your phone. When you are at work or school, keep your phone on silent and tucked away. This way, you can focus on what you’re doing, and your phone will still be nearby when it is time for a break.
For further information on smartphones, reference the following articles: