The smartphone is one of the sharpest parts on the double-edged sword of the digital revolution. 

It put the world at our fingertips, but, in so doing, it created the most distracted and overwhelmed generation ever. 

As always, today’s post is all about swiping right on the good and left the bad. 

Notifications

As the world is finally cracking down on smoking, saving millions of lives, a new addiction is quickly filling that void: notifications. 

Addiction is horrible for the user, but great for sales and even better for profits. Tobacco companies exploited this despicable marketing strategy for decades. Now it’s the turn of app developers. 

And notifications lie at the heart of this digital addiction: that hypnotic “ping” or alluring little number on an icon telling you that someone liked the selfie you just posted. 

Indeed, notifications are highly addictive and extraordinarily distracting. 

Turn them off.

All of them (including email).

Your phone should only demand your attention for calls, texts and important reminders.  

Addictive apps

There are countless apps out there that essentially sell distraction. Why on Earth would the most distracted generation in history pay good money for more distraction?

Simple: addiction. 

Here’s a simple 3-step digital detox strategy:

1. Classify: Carefully consider each installed app and classify it as either essential or addictive.
2. Clean: Delete all addictive apps without which you’ll still be able to breathe. 
3. Rearrange: Shift apps around as follows:
   1. Essential apps on the home screen
   2. Non-classified apps on the next screen (so you have to swipe at least once to see them)
   3. Addictive apps you literally can’t live without on the last screen (so they’re multiple swipes away)

Inefficiency

A smartphone is great for getting information on demand, but there are many tasks where your PC is a way better tool. 

Here are three examples of badly inefficient smartphone tasks:

1. Writing longer messages, emails or documents.
2. Doing serious online research (you phone is OK for some of life’s big questions like why dogs eat grass and cats are scared of cucumbers).
3. Online shopping.

Who owns who?

Do you own your phone or is it the other way around? Be honest now…

If you’re in full control of when you use this digital tool, you’re the owner and all is well. 

If this digital tool regularly takes control of your actions, you’re the owned and have a serious problem. 

Rule your phone with an iron first that will make the world’s worst dictators squirm. There should be no doubt about who’s the boss 😉