7 Ways Your Cell Phone Steals from You

You know your cell phone can be a distraction, but a thief?

It’s true. Every day, if you’re not careful, your cell phone will steal from you. Here’s how, and what you can do to protect yourself.

Cell Phone Fingers1. Cell phones steal your boredom.

Research shows that boredom is beneficial when it comes to creativity. In one experiment, scientists had one group of participants do something boring, like copying numbers from a phone book, and the other group do something more interesting. Then they gave both groups a series of tests on creative thinking. Results showed that those who were bored first scored better on the tests, demonstrating increased creativity.

In a second experiment, they came up with similar findings. Participants who watched a dull screensaver came up with more creative answers on an associative thought word test than those who weren’t bored beforehand.

Scientists believe that boredom encourages contemplation and daydreaming, and thereby stimulates creative thinking. Enter cell phones. Have you noticed that every time you’re in a situation where you might be bored, you pull out your phone? While taking the train ride home, standing in line at the grocery store, or waiting for your table at a restaurant, you turn to your cell phone for entertainment.

It doesn’t matter what you’re doing—perusing social media, checking emails and text messages, or playing a game—you’re allowing your cell phone to steal away time that could be spent being bored. What might you come up with as a result of that time? Another story idea? A fix for a plot problem? A new character? You’ll never know if your cell phone has its way.

Solution: Next time you’re bored and you pull out your phone, stop! Remind yourself that boredom is “good” for creative people and put the thing away. Force yourself to withstand that space of time, and see what your mind comes up with.

Cell phone on bed2. Cell phones steal your sleep.

Your cell phone is a sleep thief. If you’re looking at it within an hour of going to bed, or worse, keeping it in your bedroom overnight, you are not only messing with your quality of sleep, you’re also shortening sleep duration, and that’s bad news for your health.

In a 2017 study, scientists studied over 2,400 teenagers aged 12–18, measuring their cell phone use and sleep duration. Results showed that late-night cell phone use was associated with poor sleep quality.

In a 2016 study analyzing over 600 participants, longer average screen time (on phones, computers, and tablets) was associated with shorter sleep duration and worse sleep efficiency. Longer average screen times while the participants were in bed were also associated with poor sleep quality, decreased sleep efficiency, and more difficulty falling asleep.

The problem is that cell phones (and other technological gadgets) emit blue light, which messes with melatonin, the sleep hormone. It also stimulates the brain and tells it to stay awake.

On top of that, if you read something interesting or something that stresses you out, it’s likely to arouse you some more, making sleep harder to capture. Even if you do manage to go to sleep, alerts, vibrations, beeps, reminders, and even a brief light-up in the middle of the night can be enough to wake you up.

Solution: Put the cell phone and other screens away at least 30 minutes before bed, and always keep all technology out of the bedroom. No exceptions!

girl with cell phone3. Cell phones steal your attention and focus.

You need your brainpower for your writing and other creative projects. You can’t afford to have something messing with that, but that’s just what cell phones do.

In a 2017 review on how cell phones impact thinking, scientists noted that the gadgets interfere with our attention and focus in two ways:

  1. whenever we “think” about a smart-phone related activity, and feel that compulsion to interact with the device, and
  2. whenever we actually use the device, and then engage in a chain of tasks, extending the period of disruption.

First, actually using the device.

Studies found they using your phone can delay task completion by up to 400 percent! In other words, you start out checking your email, but then you move to checking your Facebook feed, and then you text a friend about something you found, and then your friend sends you something else to look at, and pretty soon you’ve shot 15 minutes without even trying.

Second, just thinking about the device.

It seems cell phones decrease attention even when we try to ignore them. In a 2017 study, researchers found that the mere presence of a cell phone nearby took up space in the brain, limiting cognitive resources. Even when people refrained from checking their phones, the darn things still reduced their thinking capacity, particularly memory and problem-solving skills.

In another study, researchers found that exposure to smartphone notifications significantly reduced performance on an attention-based task, even if the user didn’t check the notification. Simply hearing the sound or feeling the vibration was enough to distract the participants and decrease their ability to focus.

Solution

When it’s time to focus on your writing, turn your phone off and place it in a different room. Also consider granting yourself a “tech-free” day once a week. In a 2012 study, researchers found that workers deprived of their email for five days were able to focus longer on a task, and also experienced lower levels of stress.

Cell phone looking at face4. Cell phones steal your eyesight.

Recent research has discovered something very concerning: smartphones may ruin your eyesight if you use them too heavily. Scientists from the University of Toledo in Ohio found that the blue light emitted by phones (and other gadgets) promotes the growth of so-called “poisonous molecules” in the eyes, which could lead to macular degeneration.

The problem is that the retina in the eye—the light-sensitive tissue that lines the eye—can’t protect itself from damaging blue light. The blue light from cell phones damages the tissue, transforming molecules in the retina into “killer” cells.

When talking about this blue light, researcher Kasun Ratnayake stated, “It’s toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves. Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they’re dead, they’re dead for good.”

Green, yellow, and red light had no such effect.

Solution: Keep your phone as far as possible from your eyes. Switch to “night mode” when using the phone in the dark. Check with your phone manufacturer to see if they offer a blue-light filter for the screen, and consider blue-light filtering glasses as well. (You can find more information on those in our previous post, “The Best Eyeglasses for Writers.”) Finally, try to limit your screen time overall. One way to do that? Read print books more often.

Woman in dress with cell phone5. Cell phones steal your positive emotions.

How do you feel after 30 minutes on your cell phone?

Pay attention next time you use it, as you could discover something unsettling—that you actually feel worse.

Researchers from the University of Illinois found that high engagement with cell phones was linked with anxiety and depression. They noted, however, that results depended on the reason for using the phone. Those who used it simply to fill the time when bored didn’t experience these effects, but those who felt compelled to use it (and had a hard time resisting) did feel worse afterwards.

People more likely to be addicted to their phones are also more likely to suffer from negative emotions because of it.

There’s also the social media aspect of it. Researchers have linked “heavy” use of Facebook and other social media platforms to a higher risk of depression. The more time spent on social media, the more likely the participants were to suffer depression.

In another study, scientists found that the longer people used Facebook at one time, the worse they felt, and the more they used it over a two-week period, the more their life satisfaction levels declined.

Why would this be? Think about most of the posts you see. They’re often idealic representations of people’s lives. After you see several pictures of people on vacation, writers earning awards, and families enjoying their perfect homes, you can begin to feel like your life is sorely lacking by comparison.

Social media can also expose you to a lot of negative messages, which can affect your mood. In one experiment, researchers found that participants exposed to more negative posts were more likely to turn around and post negative news themselves than those exposed to positive posts.

Ergo: the mood of your social media feeds can be contagious.

Solution: Limit your time on social media. Determine when you will check your feeds, and stick to it. Give yourself at least one day off a week. And be particular about who you follow. Choose those who usually post positive content.

Man with cell phone6. Cell phones steal your comfort.

Have you heard of the term “text neck?” It refers to the pain caused by constantly staring down at your phone. It was first coined in 2008 by Dr. Dean Fishman, after examining a teen for headaches and neck pain.

One study found that when you look down at a device in your hands, you can put up to 60 pounds pressure on the neck, which in turn, can damage your spine, pulling it out of alignment and causing inflammation, muscle strain, disc herniations, and pinched nerves.

All that slouching can also cause kyphosis, or “hunchback” as it’s commonly called—a curve in the spine that can cause nerve problems and pain. (Read more about that in our post, “How to Prevent Your Computer from Causing Hunchback.”)

Solution: When using your phone, pay attention to the position of your head. Try to keep your ears over your shoulders. When you can, use a docking station. Take frequent breaks, at least one every 20 minutes, to get up, stretch, and move around.

Cell phone in use7. Cell phones steal your health.

Think about where you take your cell phone. Everywhere, right? Now think about where you go. The grocery store. The restroom. The restaurant. The subway. The office.

Now, how often you clean your cell phone?

In a 2017 study, researchers analyzed 27 phones. They found a median of over 17,000 bacterial gene copies per phone, including Staphylococcus aureus. An earlier study found that cell phones carry 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats.

Solution: Clean your phone frequently with a 60 percent water and 40 percent alcohol solution on a soft cloth. Wash your hands frequently with warm soap and water before using the phone.

Is your cell phone stealing from you?


Sources
Abrams, A. (2017, August 23). Your Cell Phone Is 10 Times Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat. Retrieved from http://time.com/4908654/cell-phone-bacteria/

“Amra, B., Shahsavari, A., Shayan‐Moghadam, R., Mirheli, O., Moradi‐Khaniabadi, B., Bazukar, M., … Kelishadi, R. (2017). The association of sleep and late‐night cell phone use among adolescents. Jornal de Pediatria (Versão em Português), 93(6), 560-567. doi:10.1016/j.jpedp.2017.03.001

“Banducci, S. (2016, March 2). News Bureau | ILLINOIS. Retrieved from https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/334240

“Budd, K. (2017, December). Attention Spans, Focus Affected By Smartphone Use. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-2017/mental-focus-smartphone-use.html

“Chowdhry, A. (2016, April 30). Research Links Heavy Facebook And Social Media Usage To Depression. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2016/04/30/study-links-heavy-facebook-and-social-media-usage-to-depression/#677ab6914b53

“Christensen, M. A., Bettencourt, L., Kaye, L., Moturu, S. T., Nguyen, K. T., Olgin, J. E., … Marcus, G. M. (2016). Direct Measurements of Smartphone Screen-Time: Relationships with Demographics and Sleep. PLOS ONE, 11(11), e0165331. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0165331

“College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. (2012, September 15). Why your cellphone has more germs than a toilet | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences | The University of Arizona. Retrieved from https://cals.arizona.edu/news/why-your-cellphone-has-more-germs-toilet

“Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Demiralp, E., Park, J., Lee, D. S., Lin, N., … Ybarra, O. (2013). Facebook Use Predicts Declines in Subjective Well-Being in Young Adults. PLoS ONE, 8(8), e69841. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069841

“Kõljalg, S., Mändar, R., Sõber, T., Rööp, T., & Mändar, R. (2017). High level bacterial contamination of secondary school students’ mobile phones. GERMS, 7(2), 73-77. doi:10.18683/germs.2017.1111

“Mark, G., Voida, S., & Cardello, A. (2012). “A pace not dictated by electrons”. Proceedings of the 2012 ACM annual conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems – CHI ’12. doi:10.1145/2207676.2207754

“Meyer, R. (2017, August 2). Your Smartphone Reduces Your Brainpower, Even If It’s Just Sitting There. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/08/a-sitting-phone-gathers-brain-dross/535476/

“Sparks, H. (2018, August 13). Your phone is blinding you, scientists warn. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2018/08/13/your-phone-is-blinding-you-scientists-warn/

“Stewart, J. (2017, June). Boredom Is Good for You. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/06/make-time-for-boredom/524514/

“Stothart, C., Mitchum, A., & Yehnert, C. (2015). The attentional cost of receiving a cell phone notification. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 41(4), 893-897. doi:10.1037/xhp000010

“Thompson, C. (2017, January 25). How Being Bored Out of Your Mind Makes You More Creative. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2017/01/clive-thompson-7/

“UT News. (2018, August 8). UT chemists discover how blue light speeds blindness. Retrieved from https://utnews.utoledo.edu/index.php/08_08_2018/ut-chemists-discover-how-blue-light-speeds-blindness

“Ward, A. F., Duke, K., Gneezy, A., & Bos, M. W. (2017). Brain Drain: The Mere Presence of One’s Own Smartphone Reduces Available Cognitive Capacity. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, 2(2), 140-154. doi:10.1086/691462

“Wilson, J. (2018, February 6). Your smartphone is a pain in the neck. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2014/11/20/health/texting-spine-neck-study/index.html

8 Comments

  1. My husband finally caved and bought a smart phone, but I’m not interested. I have a nice little flip phone that I keep in my purse in case I have a flat tire or some other urgent need, but I keep it turned off almost all the time. I would find it annoying to be in touch 24/7, and even more annoying to have people constantly texting me. Does that make me anti-social? Maybe… 😀

    1. Author

      It wasn’t so long ago most of us were using those flip phones! And we writers have to be anti-social at least part of the time if we’re to get anything done, right? :O)

  2. Now that I’ve been doing some subbing after being out of the classroom for seven years, I am disheartened by how attached students are to their phones. Usage rules varies from school to school, but the schools that agree to ban them across the board and not leave it to the teachers’ discretion get my vote for best tactic to uphold.

    1. Author

      I can’t imagine trying to teach if students have their cell phones out. Agree on school-wide rules for sure. Teachers have enough to worry about.

  3. I remain baffled by the cell-phone lifestyle, which is not at all appealing. My cell phone is for roadside emergencies only, or in limited circumstances for staying in touch with my family when it’s absolutely necessary to coordinate our movements. Other than that: eyes, ears, perceptions, thoughts, face-to-face contact with people.

    1. Author

      Sounds good, Anna! I use mine quite a bit more, but only at certain times of the day.

  4. Agree, agree, agree. As an adult it always amazes me to see other adults staring at the phones in waiting rooms, walking down the street, in restaurants (often with other people at the table!)…I get that this is a norm for most kids (not mine) but those of us who grew up without it should definitely know better. Having a phone is wonderful as someone who does a lot of driving alone, but I use it only when necessary. How can we ever truly be bored when we have these fantastic machines we call the brain always available?

    1. Author

      Yes, me too! And what’s amazed me lately is seeing parents out with kids and it’s the parents on their cell phones and the kids looking lonely. 🙁

Comments are closed.