I love my smartphone and all my other connected devices. They are instrumental in keeping me connected with our customers at Integral through social media and email. However, I know that too much technology can be a bad thing. Tech giants have acknowledged that technology, especially smartphones and tablets are addictive. A recent report say most smartphone users touch their phones an average of 2,000 - 5,000 times a day. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and tech addiction has brought a focus on unplugging and disconnecting from tech. National Day of Unplugging is March 1 - 2 this year and the day encourages people to unplug for a day to develop a stronger relationship with friends and family. Having technology so incorporated in our lives, unplugging can be hard. It might seem silly using technology to unplug from your devices, but with the powerful hold our devices have on us, it makes sense. Here are 4 apps that will help you.
1. iOS Screen Time and Android Digital Wellbeing. Apple and Google have included into the latest versions of their operating systems tools that are designed to help people handle on how much time they spend with their phone. Both phones will give you a weekly report to let you know how much time you've been on your phone and the tools allow parents set limits on how much screen time their kids can have each day.
2. Space. Our minds get so plugged into our tech because we anticipate that instant gratification when we open an app. That's where Space comes in. Space creates a pause Before getting that burst of instant gratification from an addictive app, Before opening your app of, a calming screen appears encouraging you to take deep breaths. As you breathe, you begin to relax which brings down the anxiety every-time you open an app.
3. Freedom. This app will completely blocks the internet, apps or specific sites, which allows you to get your work done without distractions. You can select the length of time you want to disconnect, block the apps or sites you want to block which will let you focus on work or that needed time with family and friends.
4. RescueTime. Works for smartphones, tablets and computers. If you want to keep track of how much time you're using on websites and apps, RescueTime and keep track of that data. Need to block apps or websites that are distracting, RescueTime and do that too and will send you an alert when that website is no longer blocked.
Tech addiction is a real thing. If you find yourself spending too much time on your tech, I encourage you to take a break and reconnect with the real world. There is no app, program, email or video that can't wait. Please remember to take a break from technology daily. National Day of Unplugging is a good start. Try it for an hour, half a day or even a weekend (my day to unplug is Sunday). Make it a challenge with your family and friends to see who can go the longest.
How do you unplug from technology? Drop me a line and let me know.
If you have any questions about your technology and your devices, please feel free to contact us at Integral. Our friendly tech experts at Integral are always standing by to answer your questions and help make your technology useful and fun. Reach out to us a www.integralcomputerconsutants.com or phone at 888.256.0829.
I'm the Chief Technology Expert at Integral. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn , and Twitter and watch great tech tip videos on my YouTube channel. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I want to make technology fun and exciting for you. I can be reached by email at burton@integralcomputerconsultants.com