Are you constantly bombarded with Instagram likes, missed calls, and unread emails? The incessant pings from texts, apps, and work communications may be taking a toll on your mental health.
While the instant gratification of online validation can be thrilling, experts warn that excessive notifications can have negative effects on your well-being.
According to Adelphi University professor Deborach Serani, author of “Living with Depression,” the blurring lines between work and leisure life in today’s world are disrupting our ability to practice patience and endurance.
Recent reports suggest that adults spend about half their lives looking at screens, and the average American checks their phone around 144 times a day.
Dr. Jacques Ambrose, a neuro-interventional psychiatrist, explains that constant notifications trigger the body’s stress response and release cortisol, the stress hormone.
Interestingly, these notifications can even lead to imaginary alerts, such as phantom vibrations in your pocket, a phenomenon known as “ringxiety,” as described by Serani.
This continuous stream of notifications also activates the brain’s reward system, conditioning users to feel excitement whenever their phone rings. This surge of dopamine can occur even when the content of the notification is underwhelming, making the mere anticipation of a message more pleasurable than the message itself.
Some studies estimate that the average person receives about 50 push notifications per day, while teenagers, in particular, can receive up to 237 notifications within a single day.
Prior to smartphones, landlines were the primary mode of communication. While interruptions may have occurred, instant communication was not readily available at our fingertips like it is nowadays.
With inventions like the iPhone, which Steve Jobs famously touted as “an iPod, a phone, and an Internet communicator” all in one, connecting with others has become constant and incessant.
Consequently, we have become addicted to the internet, feeling the need to constantly stay logged on and tuned in for fear of missing out. It’s a love-hate relationship that seems impossible to break.
However, experts suggest that temporarily unplugging can provide some much-needed mental relief.
Setting boundaries for work-related messaging, using separate devices for work and personal use, and activating the “Do Not Disturb” feature on your phone can all help create a clear distinction between work and leisure time. These strategies prevent work from encroaching on your personal life and vice versa, allowing you to focus on what’s important in the moment.
Additionally, powering down devices during meals and before bed, as well as keeping them out of sight and reach, can promote relaxation and reduce the temptation to constantly check for new notifications.
Deleting unnecessary apps, taking breaks from technology, and being less available to others can also help you live more fully in the present moment.
For those who struggle with distraction, there are website-blocking applications available that can limit notifications or even lock certain sites for a specified period of time. These tools can help you focus on the task at hand and reduce wasted time on your phone.
Susie Alegre, an author and attorney, uses the app Freedom to control her smartphone usage. She believes that relying solely on willpower to resist the temptations of a smartphone is incredibly challenging.
Unplugging from technology periodically has become a growing trend, with internet users participating in what’s known as a “tech detox” or #MonkMode. It’s a response to the overwhelming demands of constant connectivity in our technological world.
“We’re going to see exponential growth of apps vying for your attention,” says Vladimir Druts, co-founder of FocusMe. “Monk mode is definitely going to be gaining steam.”
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