The past two years may have made the French even more addicted to their phones than they already were.
According to a study published in 2021 (1), 40% of people under 18 would be unable to separate from their smartophone for more than 5 minutes.
And they are not alone.
Lack of attention, difficulty concentrating, depression ... nomophobia (the excessive fear of being deprived of a cell phone) harms us without realizing it.
But how do you get away from your phone?
Responses from Laurent Karila, psychiatrist and spokesperson for SOS Addictions.
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Take breaks without a phone
"The idea behind disconnecting is not to stop using your phone but to regulate its use," says Dr Karila.
Start by setting up times in the day when you leave your phone behind.
This can be in the morning when you wake up, in the evening when you get home, or during your lunch break.
This will allow you to be more present during your family moments.
The idea is not to stop using your phone but to regulate your usage.
Karila
If you're struggling without it, store it in a drawer or out of sight so you won't be tempted to scroll endlessly through your Instagram feed while you're at work.
"You can set up a blanket box like for kindergarten children and leave your laptop in it when you get home," says the addictologist.
This is what Meik Wiking, author of the very famous
Book of Hygge
, advised when we met him in January 2018.
deactivate the notifications
"The audible and visual alarms act as a Pavlovian conditioning", assures Laurent Karila.
In his work, the Russian physiologist Pavlov has shown that a stimulus, a priori
not associated with a reward, could be as strong as the reward itself.
To do this, Pavlov rang a bell every time he brought food to his dogs.
They then began to salivate as soon as they heard the bell.
So, when we hear a message ringing, our brain activates the reward regions and we compulsively consult our phone.
To overcome this, the best thing to do is to turn off notifications from apps where we spend too much time.
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Put your screen in black and white
If our smartphones attract us so much, it is also quite simply because they are beautiful.
Turn your screen to black and white.
You'll see, scrolling through other people's vacation photos on a two-tone screen makes you less inclined to linger there.
We tested this trick and it cut screen time in half.
All manufacturers offer this option, most often in accessibility settings.
"We have to distinguish screen time that is useful for something from that which makes us waste time and the ability to concentrate," explains Laurent Karila.
With a black-and-white screen, you're sure to look at your phone less compulsively and excessively.
Never sleep with your phone
Children and screens
It is essential to keep the little ones away from the screens as much as possible.
Dr Karila warns: “Never give your cell phone to a child.
His fragile brain makes him very vulnerable to addiction ”.
"You should no longer use your smartphone as a blanket, that is to say, fall asleep and wake up with it", emphasizes the addictologist.
According to a study by the audit firm Deloitte, 41% of French people confess that they sometimes consult their phone in the middle of the night, excluding time checks (2).
To disconnect, take it out of your room.
If your laptop is your alarm clock, move it away from bed or invest in a clock radio.
Only take out your phone when you need it
Even in situations where it will be of no use to you, you systematically take out your smartphone, as if to monitor it.
How about keeping it in your pocket or bag?
This black screen distracts you and puts you in a state of alert even if it doesn't ring.
Do you often find yourself walking in the street with your cell phone in hand?
Put it away when you're outside and take it out only when you want to know your route or answer a call.
In summary, always ask yourself before you unsheathe your phone, if you really need it right now.
(1) Toluna survey conducted with a representative sample of 1,000 people from January 28 to 30, 2019.
(2) Survey carried out by Deloitte on 2003 people between May and July 2016.
* Originally published in 2018, this article has been updated.
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