A Mere Notification

 Grhhhhh.. (Mobile vibrates) 

 I woke up suddenly at the middle of night to check the updates, it was only a notification from a marketing company in a browser. I checked the notification and automatically my fingers were driven to social sites. It took another half an hour for me to scroll down the news feed and I went through the each application I had in my mobile before I put my phone down.

It all started with one mere notification.

Above was just an example of fraction of hours in a day. Once, I checked the phone usage hours ,even I was surprised to find that I was using the phone for more than six hours on my working days and more than 10 hours in my day off.

It was alarming. And I thought of doing some research on “what was going on with me?” and found the term Tech addiction . Also called as Digital addiction, is similar as other addiction where the addict has an impulsive behavior disorder and is driven towards the source and if the source is not available the addict may have symptoms like irritable behavior, mood swings, thinking about the device and so on. Although Technology addiction is not included in Diagnostic and Stastistical Manual of Dsorders by American Psychiatric Association yet , the symptoms matches with Gambling disorder (included in DSM 5 by American Psychiatric Association)

I tried to relate my condition with what I found in the internet, most of them matched. however, I was not “officially addicted” as the term is not recognised as mental disorder by WHO , ICD or DSM.

Now, Let’s see some of the behavioral or physical symptoms seen in Digital addiction.

• desire to check the mobile, laptop all the time.
• curiosity to know what new notifications has arrived if the device is not used for even 5 minutes.
• Desire to download and install more apps and use all of them
• device filled with apps (gaming, shopping, social sites)
• irritable, mood swings
• head aches , heaviness in head
• Anhedonia.
• procastination in other work and engages with the device.

These are the symptoms I found researching in the internet and interviewing my friends. Then i tried looking for the management, where I struck with the Digital Detoxification.


The google definition of detoxification is removing the toxic substances. and here the toxic substances is tech devices. In todays generation, where all the work is completed with the help of these electronic devices , it is impossible to remove them, however limitting the use of the devices could be suitable for the definitin of digital detoxification.

So, how can this addiction managed ? I tried couple of methods. I am sharing with you the methods that I tried on myself.

• As I mentioned earlier, all started with the notifications, I turned off notifications alert for all apps in my mobile and laptop. So if I really need to check anything I can directly go to the app and check so I am not bothered by ting ting alert . Also distraction is avoided as I can work in laptop with out notifications from social sites. Earlier, along with my mobile, my laptop would notify: on someone putting the new stories on this social site, someone inviting me to play some games or other inviting to like a page. I got relieved of them just by pressing NO NOTIFICATIONS.
• Delete all the unwanted app from the mobile. I checked my mobile screen and it was no less than applications dumping site, filled with the all the unwanted rather than needed apps. Now, my laptop and mobile seems clean.
• Some people suggested black and white background works, but for me it didnot. It was depressing for me so I chose colored and it is fine for me.
• A BIG NO to mobile phones while having meals: I had a strange habit of using my phone while having any of the meals, whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner. I read somewhere that it makes you socially isolated , then I realised instead of focusing on eating and having family time during meals, I make friends virtually . At the same time i am wasting my valuable time with family and friends.
• Avoid multiple screens at the same time: Few weeks ago I posted a meme potraying a picture of a girl using a laptop mobile and turning on tv at the same time. It was so relatable to me. I used to turn on the TV with movies on, turn on the laptop with Gmail on and ongoing call on messenger app. Doing this , I would neither concenterate on movies nor do any of the work on laptop, I cant see any chance of having a sensible conversation amidst the chaos of these digital devices. Also from research I found using single screen once a time would help and it is helping me a lot in concenteration and I am procastinating a little less now.
• Engaging in other meaningful activities : I used to enjoy reading books before but somehow I am not able to concenterate at the moment. Meanwhile, I tried to find something that would require little concenteration for short period of time and I found Puzzles. And I am solving “Finding Word” puzzle whenever I feel I am restless. I have realized this increases the concenteration as well. Also, going for a walk can be another option.

Going through all these topics, I also want to clear that using these digital devices is not wrong at all. We are among the fortunate generations who knows the life, with and without these devices. Using these devices in a wise way is the best way .

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. (DSM-5) American Psychiatric Association. American Psychiatric Association Publishing. 2013.