By Suzanne Bearne
Business reporter.
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A study suggests we spend a lot of time on our phones.
In a world where many of us are addicted to our phones, Dulcie Cowling is something of an exception.
At the end of last year, the 36-year-old decided to get rid of her phone. She told her family and friends that she was going to switch to an old phone that only made and received calls and text messages.
One of the pivotal moments that led to her decision was a day at the park with her two boys, aged six and three.
I wondered when this happened. Everyone is missing out. I don't think you get to your death bed, and I don't think you should have spent more time online.
The idea to abandon her phone had built up during the Covid lockdowns, according to Ms Cowling.
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Dulcie Cowling plans to use the time gained from not using her phone to read or sleep.
I thought about what I could do instead of looking at the phone. Being constantly connected to lots of services creates a lot of distraction for the brain.
She will use the time gained from quitting her phone to read and sleep more.
Enough is enough with a small but growing number of people.
Alex binned his phone two years ago. The educational researcher and technology expert says that we have become addicted to these tools. They are impairing productivity.
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Your phone can do so many things that using it to make calls is not a priority.
Mr Dunedin says environmental concerns were one of the reasons behind his decision. He says we are wasting a lot of energy.
Since he stopped using a phone, he has become more productive. Mr Dunedin doesn't have a mobile phone or a landline. He is only reachable via email from his home computer.
He says that it has improved his life. My thoughts are free from being connected to a machine that I need to feed with energy and money. I believe that the danger of technologies is that they are emptying our lives.
After a break of six years, a 53-year-old teacher and writer from the UK, named Lynne Voyce, started using a phone again.
She was forced to buy one again because she had to deal with so-called Covid passports, which made it easier to keep in touch with one of her daughters who lives in Paris.
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Voyce got rid of her phone to encourage her daughters to use their own phones.
She will give up if she can. I might give it up again when my daughter isn't living abroad. Isn't it sounds like an addiction?
Ms Voyce abandoned her phone in 2016 in order to encourage her daughters to use less of it.
They were on their phones. I thought the only way to stop it was to get rid of my phone. It made the difference.
They wouldn't see me pick up my phone when we got to the restaurant.
She says that she didn't feel like she had to instantly answer things or be available when out because she didn't have a phone.
For millions of others, they are a godsend, even though some worry about how much time they spend on their phone.
"Access to healthcare, education, social services and often to our friends and family is digital, and the smartphone is an essential lifeline for people," says a spokesman for UK mobile network Vodafone.
"We create resources to help people get the most from their tech, as well as to stay safe when they're online - that's hugely important."
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During the coronaviruses pandemic, the Smartphones proved very import.
There is a link between heavy device usage and relationship issues, quality of sleep, our ability to switch off and relax, and concentration levels according to the author of The Phone Addiction Workbook.
Many people have a constant feed of requests coming their way via their device.
"They feel unable to lay boundaries down, with the result that they feel compelled to check their emails and messages last thing at night and first thing in the morning."
If you're concerned that you're spending too much time on your phone, there are other ways to reduce usage.
It was initially thought to be counterintuitive, but more apps are emerging to curtail mindless scrolling.
Freedom allows you to temporarily block websites and apps. You can block off your phone for a period of time.
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It would be useful if more people monitored how much time they spent on their phone. It can be a powerful wake-up call to know how much time you're spending on your phone.
When you switch off your phone at home, she suggests increasing the wait period until you check it again.
If you have more time, she suggests choosing an image or a word that represents what you would rather be doing.
She says it's a great visual reminder of a more valuable way to spend your time, considering most of us check our phones 55 times per day.
It is an addiction.
Life.
There are mobile phones.
It's lifestyle.
There is a work-life balance.
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