Luke Kirkness: I'm addicted to my phone. This is what I'm doing about it

Opinion: My phone has slowly overtaken my life but I'm taking it back. Here's how.

OPINION

When my phone is on silent, it vibrates to alert me to a new notification.

Sometimes I think I hear it vibrate so I check my phone only to see the blank home screen.

Other times I unlock it and go straight into my social media apps without even thinking about it. Often I have no new notifications and the feed is full of old posts.

I didn't think this was a problem until last weekend when I actually thought about that: I have become addicted to my phone, craving the reward of a new notification.

That good feeling you get when you get a notification comes from a dopamine hit.

Dopamine is a chemical naturally found in our bodies. It's a neurotransmitter, meaning it sends signals from the body to the brain and plays a part in controlling the movements we make and our emotional responses.

A woman in Hawke's Bay driving while on their phone. Photo / Duncan Brown

When I check my phone and there isn't a notification I'm not too bothered.

However, my mind tricking me into believing that it hears my phone vibrate makes me feel pretty uncomfortable.

It's led me to delete my social media accounts from my phone and I'm not using them while I'm on my computer at work or laptop at home either.

As a Gen Z-er, I've grown up among the first generation of people with access to the internet and portable digital technology from a young age.

So I thought giving social media the punt was going to be a challenge.

It's actually been a breeze.

I was worried about getting FOMO - the fear of missing out - but it hasn't crossed my mind.

I'm taking in more of the world around me. My phone usage was down over 30 per cent last week to an average of about 1hr 50min each day - I use it for work.

I've become a lot more productive with my time too, something my boss is no doubt happy about.

Social media also seems to be flooded with people being hurtful and negative towards others, so it's great putting that behind me too.

Everywhere you look, people are on their phones. At the beach, in the car, at cafes, at the dinner table, hanging out with friends; they're never far away.

Now my only reason to be on the phone is to keep in touch with others and I'm recognising some big changes already: my in-person conversations with others are better, I'm sleeping easier, I'm less stressed, and I'm happier overall.

Each day my addiction to my phone is weakening.

I challenge you to think about how you use your phone and whether its grip on you is too strong. It might be the best thing you ever do.