Psychologists explain why we need to fast from gadgets

Jakarta (ANTARA News) – How many hours do you spend staring at a phone, laptop or computer screen?

During the Ramadan fast, it is also a good idea for us to start fasting from all the sophisticated equipment that takes up time.

Adam Alter, a psychologist from New York University, has spent five years researching the effects of screen time on our lives and how much time we waste.

At TED 2017, he presented the results of his research in three graphs. He points out that the reason we feel like we don’t have free time is because we don’t have any.

Compared to 10 years ago, we spend far more time staring at computer, phone, tablet and television screens now.

In 2007, we spent relatively little of our free time on gadgetsbut in 2017 smart devices almost took up all my free time.

Alter points out that the time we spend sleeping, working or other activities such as eating and washing has not changed much in the past decade.

However, he continued, the time we spend in front of the screen where we play games, read the news, watch shows or social media has changed a lot.

Alter says that screens “have robbed us of our stop cues” with constant distraction and entertainment, unlike a newspaper which ends when the last page has been read, device screens have no clear time marker to stop, hence we don’t stop.

He adds that we spend about nine minutes a day on apps that make us feel good, for example those related to health or the weather. That’s much less time than the 27 minutes spent on apps that “make us feel worse” like games or Tinder or new apps.

The solution, said Alter, is to set a specific schedule for fasting from gadgets and reinvigorate old habits.

Basically, he says, we are addicted to our screens and limiting their use feels like a form of withdrawal

“You will get used to it,” said Alter as quoted by Business Insider.

“You will overcome withdrawal as you would any drug, and life will become more colorful and richer.”

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