How addicted are you to your smartphone?

I’ve said many times recently that the irony of our increasingly connected world is that we – as individuals and as organisations – are becoming more disconnected than we ever have before.

I can’t remember where I first heard this analogy but I love it – we all carry around our smartphones as though they are epi-pens and we all have a fatal illness. Isn’t it great?

In this podcast minisode I question why this is. I ask what’s stopping us from being connected, and I reflect on a few comments I made in the last minisode. So many of us struggle with nomophobia – that fear of not knowing where our phones are.

I reflect on how social media and our phones are designed to be addictive. Adam Alter, in his excellent book Irresistible reminds us that addiction is produced largely by environment and circumstance. And the environment and circumstance this digital age places us in are far more conducive to addiction than anything we have experienced in our history.

In this episode I talk about:

• how social media is shaping our brains,
• creators of smartphones and apps study user behaviour to determine which colours, fonts, audio tones maximise engagement and minimise frustration
• I ask how addicted are you – take the challenge!
• How can you become less addicted?
• What’s your current screen time? Which apps do you use the most?
• Convert your phone to greyscale

Create your personal tech policy

What’s one thing you can do now so you’re in control over your device and it doesn’t control you?

• Is there an app you can delete?
• Can you set a tech-free time during the day / week?
• At work can you talk to your colleagues rather than emailing them all the time?
• Do you really need your phone on the table in meetings? Or when eating dinner with your family?
• Are their parts of your home that can be device free? What about your bedroom?
• How often do you turn your phone onto flight mode?

I’m certainly not advocating for no technology!! But what I am suggesting is that you create a tech policy so YOU are in charge.

What are you going to do to manage your technology use? Are you going to create a tech policy for home or work? What’s one thing you will do? I’d love to know. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #thisconnectedlife and tagging me @melkettle

If you enjoyed this podcast, I would love you to subscribe on iTunes or Spotify or via the podcast app on your smartphone.

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You might also like to:

• Attend one of my upcoming events
• Download my latest whitepaper The Social CEO – from invisible to influencer
• Signup to my newsletter
• Buy a copy of my book, The Social Association
• Book a time for a 15 minute chat

Mel Kettle is all about connection, communication and collaboration. She works with CEOs, leaders and teams to help them better communicate and collaborate (online AND offline) to achieve better relationships, revenue and results. Mel is a facilitator, trainer, speaker, author and mentor who provides practical advice that achieves results while having some fun!Download her latest whitepaper, The Social CEO – from invisible to influencer or order a signed copy of her book, The Social Association. To inquire about working with Mel, please email mel@melkettle.com or call her on 0404 600 889.