If you follow me for a while now, you probably know that you are not Facebook’s customer. You’re the product. The advertisers are the customers since they pay money for Facebook’s services. If it wasn’t SocialMediaBreakup that made you aware of this, it was probably the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. Facebook wants our …
Your Data is Used to Predict and Control Your Behavior on Social Media Read More »
2 blogs ago I mentioned the idea to enable Dark Mode in your social media apps. When you enable Dark Mode, the white background changes to a black background and the font color changes from black to white. More apps are introducing the Dark Mode feature which is a positive development. Dark Mode is …
You have probably heard of the statement “don’t get high on your own supply”. In Brian De Palma’s Scarface from 1983, Tony Montana (played by Al Pacino) does eventually fail to live by that vital rule which is the beginning of his drastic decline. The smart dealers know how to make other people hooked …
Personally, I have dark mode enabled in my iPhone device. When you enable Dark Mode, the white background changes to a black background and the font color changes from black to white. In low light conditions, you want to enable this option. Looking at your screen will be less “painful”. We all know how …
It’s interesting how we find it so important what people think of us. No wonder social media is so popular. We truly value other people’s opinions of us. It goes so far that we carefully craft posts and photos with the objective of gaining as many likes, hearts, and comments as possible. Unfortunately, that …
The smartphone is a powerful device. We keep thinking we are its master while unfortunately, it is often the other way around. The smartphone essentially is our master and we are its slave. We shouldn’t be too surprised, the smartphone is basically our new appendage. We bring it everywhere, literally everywhere with us. No …
Most of us know the saying: in order to be interesting, be interested When I ask you: what excites you in life? Do you have a clear answer? Not everyone does. We spend a lot of our time on media, activities, and people, but do they make us happy? Do we feel good about …
There are many stories of couples that are obsessed with their screens. When both partners are mindlessly scrolling, swiping, browsing, and typing without any real awareness, then this (worrying) behavior won’t be discussed in depth. However, when one partner “awakens” and becomes conscious of his/her useless activities on social media and devices while the …
Approach Your Partner Wisely When He Or Se Uses Social Media Too Much Read More »
We all know that feeling when a notification comes in. We feel that anticipation of what could be… It’s a joyful feeling (because of the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine). Who has sent me a message! What does the message say! That feeling of excitement when a notification comes in is known to us …
While we can easily expose ourselves on social media, it is daunting to show some levels of vulnerability. Posting photos online is not the hard part. There is an endless number of filters and effects you can apply to make that photo look like it came right out of a magazine. Revealing ourselves, our …
Don’t Focus on Educating Online Haters and Bullies Read More »
Many of us walk with our phone chargers on us. The idea of walking around with a dead phone is unfathomable. What would we do with ourselves if the battery of our phones ran out!? That feeling of nomophobia (no mobile phone phobia) is one we are eager to avoid at all costs. Human …
Every single activity you take on, how petty that might be, will one day be your last. We live our lives like it is something we have to get through. Do we really appreciate what we have now in this very moment? As Albert Einstein once said, “There are two ways to live your …
The wiser we become, the more we realize that experiences bring us long-term happiness, not gadgets, items, or things. We can experience with the help of things, but “a thing” in and of itself won’t bring long-term happiness, only short-term. Now that we are home a lot, we can find happiness and enjoy our …
Be Open to Connection and Fire Up Your Curiosity to Beat Loneliness Read More »
Afraid that someone will access your WhatsApp when your phone is unlocked? You can add an additional layer of security to your WhatsApp account. What about the possibility of only accessing your WhatsApp with your face or finger? Depending on the availability of the option Touch ID or Face ID on your device, you …
Enable Screen Lock in WhatsApp for Extra Security Read More »
When I was very young I watched Tom & Jerry, Cartoon Network cartoons like Dexter’s Laboratory and Johnny Bravo, and Hanna-Barbera cartoons like the Flinstones and the Jetsons. Many funny moments stuck with me, including a shoulder angel and shoulder devil bickering about what the character should or should not do. This stuck with …
Make Your Shoulder Angel and Devil Befriend Each Other Read More »
A strategy you can introduce is to declare out loud to yourself why you are going for your smartphone. Your actions should be intentional. So be clear about why you go for your phone and what apps you are planning to use. If you are in a situation where you are not alone and …
We are very ambitious when we think about introducing change in our lives. Oftentimes we declare bold statements like cutting our social media use by 50% or using a dumbphone that will replace our smartphone. These declarations are made with the best of intentions of course. Unfortunately, we often underestimate the willpower that is …
Many times I’ve said it: I understand why many people are reluctant to delete all social media apps. There are many reasons why one wants to keep using social media apps. Although it is a strategy to simply delete at least 1 social media app, let’s try something else. Game apps have no reason …
The idea to disable all your social media push notifications can be daunting.How would you know instantly what is happening in your account right?Of course, we can debate about the importance of being constantly up to date, (and I do talk about this in many other videos), but let’s focus now on that feeling of …
Check Your Social Media Notifications Every 30 Minutes Read More »
Airplane mode and Do Not Disturb have both their unique benefits. We all know we have to enable airplane mode when we’re on the plane and it is about to take off. Nowadays we are sometimes allowed to enable Wi-Fi so there is access to the internet up in the air. Nevertheless, no one …
Airplane Mode VS Do Not Disturb VS Disabling Mobile Data Read More »
In an earlier blog, I mentioned how time is our most valuable currency. The more we become aware of this, the more we won’t allow ourselves to scroll our lives away. There will be a day where we wish we had more time. If we can envision ourselves in the future looking back on …
Invest Your Time Instead of Just Spending Your Time Read More »
In a previous blog, I wrote about the brain chemical dopamine. Dopamine is the reason why we can’t wait to run to our device when it demands our attention.Nothing can stop us when we want to grab our phone.Our full focus is immediately on our device.The reward center in your brain releases dopamine in …
Dopamine Rush Results in a False Sense of Accomplishment Read More »
The battle that we constantly fight our entire lives, is the one between our shoulder angel and shoulder devil. I never forget those cartoons like the Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry where you see the shoulder angel and should devil quibbling about what the character should be doing. Fascinating. That’s exactly the battle …
Control Your Screen Time With an Accountability Partner Read More »
If you’ve done some research on phone addiction, then you probably came across dopamine. Neurons that release dopamine are activated when we expect to receive a reward. The reason why we grab our phones quickly, is that the chemical dopamine is released, a key neurotransmitter for regulating our sense of craving. This pleasure related receptor in the …
Dopamine Makes You Feel Excited to Use Your Phone Read More »
Time is our most valuable currency.Time is literally ticking away and every single second that is passing is forever gone.Our lives equate to an hourglass, slowly we’re running out of time.The big mystery is how much time will we end up having.40 years? 10 years? 18 months? We just don’t know.That’s why one of the …
Apps have their own features that help you to use the app more mindfully. The YouTube app is one of them. Multiple times have I mentioned that YouTube is my most challenging app. YouTube offers loads of content including informative, educative and inspiring content. But whatever can be found on that platform, there is …
Use YouTube Features to Help You Stay in Control Read More »
You have probably seen the thought-provoking documentary The Social Dilemma on Netflix by now. The documentary shares many insights about social media and delves into the implications of social media addiction as an invasive force in our everyday lives. You will realize why it is so important to be mindful of the time you …
5 tips From Docu The Social Dilemma to Control Your Social Media Time Read More »
We want to be socially connected constantly no matter what we’re doing. The problem is that this desire keeps people from fully experiencing what they are actually doing. Instead of landing in the moment, we have to witness the moment in order to share it. Social media gives people a platform for the most …
Don’t See Posting on Social Media as an Obligation Read More »
When we’re immersed in our devices and someone enters the room to ask us a question, we have to (annoyingly) look up.Whether we have our devices in our hands or not, we have to leave our phones alone when someone wants our attention in the offline world.It’s common courtesy.Now ask yourself: when the conversation …
Wait for the Person to be Out of Sight Before Grabbing Your Phone! Read More »
We used to unlock our devices with a short passcode. This short passcode changed into long passcodes the more stories were shared about security breaches. Then in 2013 Apple introduced Touch ID. Passcodes were no longer necessary to unlock our smartphones. A finger would suffice. Since 2017 fingers are no longer needed (theoretically) to …
Apple’s built-in fingerprint sensor Touch ID made its introduction in 2013 with the advent of the iPhone 5S. Since then every subsequent iPhone included the Touch ID option till it got replaced with Face ID. Face ID is Apple’s facial recognition system which made its introduction on the iPhone X in 2017. Now our …
If you just want to “waste” time online because you’ve nothing else to do, be careful that you don’t get triggered by some post that you happen to disagree with. Using Twitter aimlessly is similar to walking around aimlessly somewhere while analyzing if someone is saying something you like or dislike. The focus is …
Multiple times I have referred to the phone lounge: a place where you leave your phone when an area in your home becomes a no phone zone.An example of a phone lounge is a drawer in the hallway, a closed box, and a different room.What you also want to set up aside from this …
Have a Designated Mini Lounge in the Area You’re In Read More »
The news feed is often the first thing we see when we go on social media. We are immediately confronted with photos of our friends, “friends” and people we follow. Such posts can make us react in various ways. We can become sad and frustrated because of other people’s highlight reels. This doesn’t necessarily …
Mess Up Your News feed and End the Endless Scrolling Read More »
One of the first lessons we receive when it comes to using computers is to use a strong password. Many years ago when we created an account, we didn’t think more than a few seconds about our password. Many years ago our computer and account passwords consisted of 6 characters and we never worried …
Rarely do I say to simply delete social media apps. When you’re used to using a specific app not just on a daily basis, but on an hourly basis, the chances are high you will resist deleting that app. So oftentimes I introduce other strategies that will hopefully make you more aware of your …
Lately, I have asked you various times if you have watched the Social Dilemma documentary on Netflix. I think it is not necessary to ask you again. I have mentioned this documentary multiple times in my videos and blogs. Doesn’t mean I will stop talking about it 😀 There were various revelations that shocked …
The Social Dilemma Reveals AI Knows Us Better Than We Know Ourselves Read More »
Step 3 of my 6 step formula to curb phone and social media addiction is Digital Citizenship. This step is about embracing tech and learning how to use tech, social media, and the internet wisely. One of the strategies I recommend is to stay up to date on platforms and devices you are using …
The documentary the Social Dilemma available on Netflix is a must-watch. There is no better moment than now to watch this, especially now that we are currently in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re thinking of deleting any social media accounts, then this documentary can result in that final push. The documentary …
Do you know what boundaries you want to introduce in order to reduce your phone usage? There are both online and offline boundaries you can activate to create friction. The question is do you have a list of strategies you want to use? Examples of digital boundaries are Do Not Disturb, blocking apps, greyscale, …
We are wired for connection. To belong. To matter. It’s very important to have social interactions. When we don’t, it can have detrimental effects on our mental health and wellbeing. Many of us can attest to this due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are home and can’t meet our friends and family who are …
We quickly gravitate to a bright red color, that’s why many apps have bright and warmer icons. It’s the reason why the notification bubbles are red. They jump out so we need to know what that notification is all about! A major contribution to why our smartphones can be addictive is because of those …
With the COVID-19 pandemic, we are forced to remain indoors as much as we can. We can still go outside, but many activities that we always took for granted are not possible or are organized in such a way that there is a maximum amount of people. This means the majority of our time …
In a previous video and blog, I have explained how to check the access your apps have to your iPhone. Every time you install an app, it has some form of access to your device. Apps can have access to e.g. your microphone, camera, contacts, and location. There are 2 ways how you can …
There is a reason why surgery is becoming more popular among youngsters. We are wired to assess our environment, to compare ourselves to the people around us.Our brain collects data about our environment to e.g. assess if there is any danger and where we currently stand in the social hierarchy.Our brain uses the people …
Social media Addiction Can Lead to Body Dysmorphic Disorder Read More »
When we are done with our phone, we may lock it manually or we may not. In case we don’t, our phones will often do this for us. The question is, how long will it take for your phone to lock itself automatically? When you use the iPhone you can change this feature called …
When you do something repeatedly, you’re going to get good at it. Your brain will help you with that. It doesn’t matter what you do though. You could be doing something destructive on a repetitive basis and you will get good at it. Because of you’re phone you’re good at getting distracted for example. …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdIoKIjIgug In an earlier video, I introduced the idea of a phone lounge. You want to have a designated space where you leave your smartphone, whether you’re in the office, at home, or in the car. When an area becomes a no phone zone. there should be no discussion regarding where to leave your …
We often judge ourselves based on our intentions and not our actions. All of us have great intentions. We like to proclaim such intentions with lots of joy. Unfortunately, we often don’t live our intentions. When people judge us based on our actions, it is often painfully visible how our actions are not aligned …
In an earlier video, I explained how you disable the Active Status option in the Facebook App. Not only how, but also why. The quickest way to spend loads of time on the Facebook app is to show people you’re online and “available”. This automatically happens when you open the Facebook app, a green …
Do you know that feeling of easily eating fast food when you’ve skipped the gym lately? Like, one good habit that you failed for a week automatically activates the next bad habit. The same applies to phone use. I noticed that when I’m not really connected to myself, if I’m under the weather or …
I always found it annoying when someone starts chatting with me when I open the Facebook app. In most cases, I simply wanted to check 1 thing and leave the app immediately. The problem was that people saw I was online, they saw that infamous green dot next to my name which meant I’m …
Deleting apps is hard I get it. You have programmed yourself to constantly open the app, even when there is no notification. Simply deleting it is easier said than done. If you think you’re addicted to social media, don’t think that you have no control. Sometimes it’s easy to convince ourselves that we simply …
Going to bed without your phone is not only a strategy to use your phone less, but also to sleep better and to improve your health. If I could give you a pill, and this pill would improve your memory, help you live longer, reduce your blood pressure, increase the quality of your skin, …
One of the reasons why I was opening Facebook every day was because I wanted to check if there is a birthday I should know about. With more than 400+ people I had befriended, I simply couldn’t remember all their birthdays. Not that I ever knew all birthdays of my 400 “friends”. Nor did …
Don’t Let Facebook but Your iPhone Remind You of Birthdays Read More »
We type a lot, whether that is on a keyboard or on a touchscreen. We don’t create letters anymore with our hands as we used to. When was the last time you wrote on a paper? The last thing you wrote was probably a few words or a few sentences only. This is not …
No matter how much we are lazy, complacent, and lying on the couch: There is a voice inside of us that will tell us “can’t you see you’re wasting your time, what’s wrong with you!?” For some, this voice is merely a whisper that they try to repress, but the voice is there nonetheless. …
In an earlier blog, I mentioned planning your distractions. In the blog, I suggested planning 1 or 2 hours for social media alone. During that time you can use social media as you please. Use social media shamelessly but don’t do anything else. Have you planned social media for 90 minutes? Then only use social …
Use an Alarm When on Social Media and Delete Your Browser’s Data Read More »
Sitting comfortably in our chairs staring at our screens is not hard to do. Going along with our feelings of tiredness, not being bothered and “chillaxing” is easy when you can keep up with your communication using a keyboard and touchscreen. It’s easy to stay in contact through mediated communication. When I started to …
Do Not Neglect Your In Real Life (IRL) Relationships Read More »
Most of us understand how important it is to plan your day. Without a plan, you will often do what is easiest like using your phone. Time is precious and none of us have any clue how many years, weeks, or days we have left. When we want to build and produce, we need …
Plan Your Distractions and Use Social Media Shamelessly Read More »
