Weresquandering increasing amounts of timedistracted by our phones.
And thats taking aserious tollon our mental and physical well-being.
Some apps reward you for staying off your phone for set periods of time.
Others punish or block you from accessing certain sites or activities altogether.
Andresearchby myself and others shows that excessive technology use can be problematic.
In extreme cases, it is linked to depression, accidents and even death.
But what makes some apps work better than others?
Behavioral science,my area of expertise, can shed some light.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Why we need help
Technology isdesignedto be addictive.
And a society that is mobile dependent has a hard time spending even minutes away from their app-enabled smartphones.
In 2017, U.S. adultsspent an average of three hours and 20 minutes a dayusing their smartphones and tablets.
This addiction has consequences.
And app developers have also risen to the challenge with software aimed at helping us use our phones less.
However, many apps go much further.
Research suggests that you should download applications that ask you to setspecific goalsthat are tied toconcrete actions.
Making commitments upfrontcan be a powerful motivator, even more so than financial incentives.
While this might not affect phone use, it could help you be more productive at work.
Unfortunately, it is one of the apps that Apple removed from its store.
Rewards and punishments
Offering rewards is another strategy that is grounded in behavioral research.
We tend tohighly value rewards earned through effort, even when they have no cash value.
Since static rewards become demotivating over time, choose an system that providesuncertain and surprising rewards.
An even more powerful motivator than earning rewards can be losing them.
Research suggests that capitalizing onsocial motivations like the need to fit in can encouragepersistent behavioral change.
Constant connection to technology undermines happiness, relationships and productivity.
