Our smartphone is now an extension of us in the modern age.
Their technology is used for many tasks, and I would add that it has a great impact.
They have revolutionized how we live, work and interact with each other.
Is it possible that all this technology is costing us in the long-term? Do smartphones infringe on our ability to be productive in the long-term?
It may not always be true. In a moment you will see that this is exactly what’s happening.
Robin S. Sharma might have been right.
“Cell phones and mobile email can lead to massive losses in creativity and overall productivity.”
We will explore five ways smartphones are destroying productivity for modern-day people.
You might be surprised by some of these!
1. Smartphones reduce our ability to think for ourselves
Smartphones make our lives easier.
You can get instant direction by pressing a button.
They have virtually eliminated the need to keep track of us:
- The majority of phone numbers
- Email addresses
- Passwords
- Contact information
These devices also allow us to access a calculator whenever needed. They also allow us to connect directly to the collective knowledge of humanity via internet.
That’s great, right?
Yes,.
These resources offer us enormous benefits, as you can see.
However, studies show that smartphones are making it easier to think for ourselves. __S.27__
One study with 660 participants showed that those with stronger cognitive skills spent less time using smartphones to solve their problems.
Research supports what we have probably been fearing: the association of heavy smartphone use and lower intelligence.
This is not a definitive list. There’s more context.
Yet. This is something you should think about before reaching for your phone every time there is a problem.
2. They reduce face-to-face human interaction
Smartphones have allowed us to be more connected than ever before.
It’s also true, however, that we have never been more isolated in so many different ways.
A 2015 study found that face-toface interaction is more effective than online/digital interaction when it comes to helping lower depression.
Even more shocking was the finding that people with little social contact had almost twice as much chance of developing depression.
People who regularly meet in person with family members, friends, and loved ones are less likely to experience depression symptoms. This is in contrast to people who only communicate with their loved ones via digital or electronic means.
Guess what isn’t good for productivity?
Depression
3. They interrupt our sleep schedule
As we all know, getting enough sleep is an important pillar of our health and well-being.
We also know how important it is to get enough sleep for:
- Work done
- Creativity is key
- Perform productively every day
Smartphones can also disrupt our sleep cycle, as it turns out.
Blue light from phones keeps us awake and disrupts our natural circadian rhythm.
People often keep their phones close to them while they sleep. This can make it easy for their sleep to be disturbed during the night.
It’s hard to get enough sleep when you have so many distractions: notifications, noises and vibrations, screen lights, and constant online engagements.
Notifications
4. Never-Ending Notifications, Messages, and Pings
We only have so much time in a day to be “maximally productive” as humans.
If a series of group chat messages, dating apps notifications, or emails interrupt the conversation,
It can severely impact our ability to stay in the “flow state”.
You might try this experiment: Keep track of how often you check your phone every hour, while still trying to accomplish work.
It is possible that you are wasting five to fifteen minutes each hour on notifications, messages and pings that don’t help you be more productive.
It is a good idea to turn off your phone or at least put it on silent mode during critical hours.
You might be surprised at how much you can accomplish with your device when you take the picture out of the frame.
5. Apps are a major time sink
Apps are meant to hold and keep our attention, so we’ll be able to:
- More advertisements
- Increase your consumption of content
- These apps are more fun than any other app.
You have to be kind to platform creators.
They are great at capturing customer attention and keeping it.
However, many people end up losing the battle to “resist distraction”.
Are you a person who has ever reached for your phone to check a notification only to scroll through your feed for 15+ minutes?
You wouldn’t be alone if you did.
Conclusion
It’s important to realize that technology can be very helpful.
It is important to recognize that tech should be a part of our daily lives, not a tool we allow to control us.
Put your phone on silent, and then remove it from your immediate area during critical productive hours. Do the same before you go to sleep.
