Kyana Townes

As members of generations Z and Alpha, students generally enjoy technology and  new wave of media. But some worry that our devices, whether it is a phone, laptop, iPad, or a gaming device, are causing us to lose focus on important tasks and potential achievements.

Public Health researchers, in a recent literature review, wrote that, “Dependency on digital devices resulting in an ever-increasing daily screen time has subsequently also been the cause of several adverse effects on physical and mental or psychological health. Constant exposure to devices like smartphones, personal computers, and television can severely affect mental health- increase stress and anxiety.”

In short, it is easy for us to become distracted.  

So, the next time you find yourself studying for a test, doing homework, or  in class and you feel tempted to look at your phone, research suggests you should take these actions instead:  

Set focus mode on your phone 

Set a focus mode: Focus mode is a customizable setting for Apple products to silence all calls and notifications on their device. Focus mode allows a user to “reduce distractions and set boundaries” Apple stated. Many students have their phones on DND (Do not Disturb), which prevents any messages or phone calls coming through, but focus mode is more advanced; it allowing the options of work status or selecting a custom focus mode of your own. This prevents any distractions or notifications and helps students maintain focus on their task. 

Turn off ringer/notifications

Turn off ringer/notifications: often phones will make a noise or chime that drives the user to want to see what notification they have received, which triggers the user’s sound sense. Users can place their phone on silent and turn off their vibrate mode. This allows users to avoid any interference with notifications. If you don’t feel the buzz on your phone or the glow of its light from notifications, then you’re less likely to reach for it.

Practice Meditation 

Practicing Meditation: social media can be addicting, an example to prove this claim is the anxiety we feel about our phones when we lose them and also how we always need to have our phones on our person. As a means of reducing anxiety, we could try to practice meditation. This tool is used to reduce excessive phone usage by cultivating mindfulness, which allows you to become more aware of your impulses to reach for your phone and gives you the mental space to consciously choose whether or not to engage with it, instead of mindlessly scrolling through distractions. Essentially, it trains your brain to be more present and less reactive to the urge to check your phone. For further ways to practice meditation and learn from a professional while at home visit ‘Mindful.Org’ for more tools to start your meditation journey today.

Put your phone away when you walk in the door  

Put your phone away when you walk in the door: Christopher Mims writes a weekly technology column for The Wall Street Journal—a job that certainly requires the use of tech on a consistent basis. His simple and proven way to keep life in healthy balance with his cell phone is to put it in a kitchen cabinet at the end of the workday. In his words, “The more you physically remove the phone, the more you can build a habit of having some ability to ignore it when it’s on your person.” When you finish your day of work, put your phone in a drawer or cabinet.

Create a schedule with sufficient “down time”

Creating a schedule: A track, schedule, or planner are all things that remind students of the important events or tasks that are happening or upcoming in student lives. This tool can exercise students using paper products but also their devices in a positive way. This an improvised plan allows students to use their devices in a positive way that warrants less screen time because of the time they will spend trying to achieve everything on their schedule. ‘Unplugged‘ Journaling blog sources reported. ‘By scheduling downtime, you create a more focused and relaxed environment, which can help decrease phone dependency.’

Students, especially, should learn how to go throughout our days without constantly worrying about our devices. We must improve our usage and how we choose to let social media and technology impact our daily lives. Distractions are just an easy way to help us fail.