Reduced cognition, phantom phone vibrations, sleep deficit, anxiety and an endless list of side effects that will ultimately be shrugged off — these are some of the symptoms and results of phone addiction. A global report commissioned by Heineken has found that adults spend 88 days a year with their eyes stuck to their phones. Phone usage is no longer simply a part of everyday routine; people’s routines are dependent on it, making cell phone addiction alarmingly normalized.
Heineken’s report studied the screen time of 17,000 adults across various countries, finding that, on average, adults spend five hours and 48 minutes per day looking at their phones. This number is even higher for Gen Z Americans, who spend 7.2 hours of their day watching videos as of 2022, according to the Los Angeles Times. These videos range from doomscrolling TikTok and Instagram Reels to streaming and entertainment services. The addiction lies in dopamine.
This feel-good hormone is “the brain’s major reward and pleasure neurotransmitter,” according to the University of Texas at Permian Basin. The common misconception is that dopamine makes people happy; however, it only reinforces behaviors that do, such as phone usage. Most people are aware of the dopamine rush they get from watching TikTok, scrolling through social media or playing a mobile game. This addiction is only something else to fix on the already never-ending list of incomplete tasks, which ironically, is likely as long as it is because of the phone usage. Task completion is also hindered due to phone usage, as is fear of missing out, difficulty concentrating and self-absorption.
Standing in line at the checkout: scroll. Waiting for friends at a cafe: scroll. Using public transport: scroll. Whether checking social media, gasping at headlines or checking emails, nothing is more valuable than the beauty of glancing up now and then. Life moves on every minute people spend on a lit-up, palm-sized device. Staying informed on the news and entertained is important, but not at the expense of authentic human connection and fresh air.
Screen time does not have to lead daily routines. Avoid phone usage first thing in the morning, keep phones in another room during focus time, silence certain notifications and limit screen time in settings. Phone stack when out with friends and consider temporary or permanent deletion of addictive apps — yes, TikTok. It seems the iPad babies are closer than one realizes, and the call is coming from inside the house.
