These days, it’s not uncommon to see people walking around, with their eyes glued to their smartphones. However, being too attached to your smartphone can have detrimental effects. No one wants to fall off a cliff because they weren’t looking where they were going and staring at their phone instead.
This is where the ‘150 rule’ comes in that can help you develop healthy smartphone habits.
Being too glued to your phone can have a lot of negative effects.
How does the ‘150 rule’ work?
The ‘150 rule’ is a method to help you better manage your time online. According to psychologists, we can preserve 150 secure relationships in our lives. Going by that number, you will need to prune your social media friendships to only 150 people.
These people should be important enough to warrant your attention, and ideally, they should be people who can enrich your life.
It can be a bit daunting to limit your Facebook friends to only 150, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Take out those people whose posts or feeds make you feel terrible.
If you have a friend whose only use for Facebook is inviting you for games, then feel free to delete them.
Remember, the ‘150 rule’ is not just about reducing your friends list. It’s about making sure that you use social media to boost these relationships, and not as a substitute for real interaction.
Here are some other tips!
Aside from the 150 rule, there are also some other ways you can break a smartphone addiction:
Avoid lurking on social media
Reducing your friends list is nice, but it’s not effective if you still lurk on social media. Try to do some other activities; pick up a hobby, or take a walk outside.
If your kids are addicted to social media, encourage them to get out of the habit by asking them to go outside and play or by encouraging them to read a book instead.
Declutter your mobile phone
You spend more time on your phone if you have a bunch of apps and games that can distract you. Avoid those distractions by decluttering your phone and uninstall any unnecessary or unproductive apps. Spend the time you save with your family instead.
The same goes for your child’s phone. A couple of games are okay, but if they have a wide selection of games, you might want to uninstall a few.
Set aside a place to store your phone
A drawer or a box at home is a good place to store your smartphones during a “digital detox.” It’s easier to resist the temptation of using your phone if it’s not at arm’s reach.
Avoid texting, make calls instead
Text messages are convenient, but they can also take up a lot of your time. Calls are much better since it’s easier to communicate and you spend less time on your phone.
Avoiding texts is a great way to wean yourself or your kids off a smartphone addiction.
Source: WT News
READ: Smartphones can become like ‘cocaine for kids,’ says study
Republished with permission from: theAsianParent Singapore
