Are you a Slave to your smartphone?

We are living in a distractive age. A recent report found more mobile phones on the planet now than people do. Learning is central to the ability to focus on a task (as Daniel Willingham puts it: 'Memory is the remnant of thought'). But how do we enable students to handle their mobile phones more effectively during revision?

Evidence shows we check our phones 85 times a day, on average. You don't think you need your phone that much? The same study showed that people appear to make twice as much use of their devices as they think they do. Excessive use of mobile phones has been associated with a range of negative effects, such as poor concentration, stress reduction and disruption Sleep.

At the best of times, those consequences are bad. They can be disastrous during revision time. Cell phones can of course be used as a revision resource, as they provide access to google and a multitude of revision websites and revision apps). They can, however, also be a source of procrastination and FOMO (anxiety to miss out).

The temptation of misuse, left to itself, will probably far outweigh the benefits of effective use. It's also interesting to note that adolescents assess risk and reward adults very differently. That's why they engage in 'risky' behaviors, or what we may perceive to be 'self-disabled,'

There is certainly a case to be made that 'out of
sight is out of mind,' a kind of cold turkey approach.
This is a strategy often used to help
improve self-control (see details of the famous marshmallow experiment).

By eliminating the temptation, you reduce
the likelihood of interacting with it.
However, recent research suggests that, for students who use their mobile
phones a lot, this absence may make them more stressed and anxious.
Other strategies may have
more impact on these students.

No one size fits all when it comes to
helping students manage their mobile phones during the revision process.
I therefore suggest a number of simple ways to help. For some, the best results will be achieved through a combination of these strategies.

The 12strategies are ...
Set a time
limit for yourself
Turn off
your phone
Limit notifications
that you receive
Put your phone
away while you're reviewing
Let your friends know when
you're going to be back online
Turn down the backlight
of your phone near bedtime
Use going to your phone as a
reward for a certain amount of work
Resist the urge to reply
to any message you receive.
Give your phone to someone you trust
to take care of while you study
Turn the Airplane
Mode on your phone
Keep your phone out of
your room while you sleep

If you follow these strategies you will be free from your smartphone and be a power user instead of a slave.
image source: https://www.pexels.com/search/smartphone/