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Apple needs to tackle the issue of smartphone addiction

wired.co.uk

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Re: Apple needs to tackle the issue of smartphone addiction

#61

Post by graeme »

vinniejames wrote: post #47
DonaldPShimoda wrote: post #26

Something that I don't know if they've mentioned specifically in public was that the Apple Watch was partly designed to deal with smartphone addiction. I don't have a citable source handy here, so it's just my word, but when I interned with Apple last year there were a few "town hall" events where interns could ask questions of senior management (Cook, Ahrendts, Cue, Maestri, etc). At one of them (I think the Tim Coo…

This argument seems to imply the opposite, taking the "addicting" notifications and strapping them to your wrist doesn't exactly reduce the behavior. Most studies show any addicting effect is directly tied to the dopamine release from receiving the notifications. The decreased frequency in unlocking the phone is simply moved to your arm. Just bought a smart watch over the weekend, I'll keep you posted ;)

I've noticed with watch notifications I'm far more likely to mentally dismiss them without losing my train of thought.

Phone notificaions, on the other hand, clog up the unlock screen, and seem to demand action when I pull down notification center and see old ones.

I still keep notifications low, mind you. Watch ones are still a distraction. But on balance I find it much less.

Re: Apple needs to tackle the issue of smartphone addiction

#62

Post by graeme »

et-al wrote: post #38
whitepoplar wrote: post #5

I think smartphone use has split into two paths: utility and "discovery." Utilities are the tools we use every day, the tools we want to be stable, fast, and (relatively) unchanging. E.g. sms, maps, browser, phone, camera, email. "Discovery" is all the new, unstable, changing stuff. I think there's an enormous market for a utility smartphone...and it doesn't even have to be a smartphone. Something between an old Noki…

> Something between an old Nokia and an iPhone, but still a precision-crafted, luxury device. There's the Light Phone, but I haven't seen many reviews on it. And its successor, the Light Phone 2, isn't coming out until next year (and it's crowdfunded, so expect more delays). But if you only wanted a phone for utility, buy an old iPhone 5s, or SE, install just the basics and leave it at that. If you have self-control…

Protip for anyone considering grayscale: you can set it to activate on triple click of the home button.

I personally use a red color filter with this setting. Reduces nightime blue light exposure. But one bonus is that the red phone is also way less compelling.

Re: Apple needs to tackle the issue of smartphone addiction

#64

Post by whytaka »

DonaldPShimoda wrote: post #26

Something that I don't know if they've mentioned specifically in public was that the Apple Watch was partly designed to deal with smartphone addiction. I don't have a citable source handy here, so it's just my word, but when I interned with Apple last year there were a few "town hall" events where interns could ask questions of senior management (Cook, Ahrendts, Cue, Maestri, etc). At one of them (I think the Tim Coo…

I purchased the Apple Watch when the cellular version came out. You can bet that my smartphone usage has gone down since I've stopped carrying it around.

I get my messages, my calls, and my emails. I can get directions if necessary. I even get my wallet, my weather, my reminders/schedule AND my music. What else do I need?

EDIT: Did I mention it also tells time?

Re: Apple needs to tackle the issue of smartphone addiction

#65

Post by graeme »

chadash wrote: post #24
whitepoplar wrote: post #5

I think smartphone use has split into two paths: utility and "discovery." Utilities are the tools we use every day, the tools we want to be stable, fast, and (relatively) unchanging. E.g. sms, maps, browser, phone, camera, email. "Discovery" is all the new, unstable, changing stuff. I think there's an enormous market for a utility smartphone...and it doesn't even have to be a smartphone. Something between an old Noki…

This. I have thought a lot about switching to a "dumb phone" recently. There were two things that I use regularly that would make this switch tough though: 1) Google maps. This is so much better than using a built-in or dashboard-mount GPS that it would be hard to go back. 2) Podcasts. I listen to these in the car and having a good app for them is nice. Ultimately, I decided to delete the apps on my phone that were s…

I'm just coming back from a couple of weeks working disconnected in Cuba.

What I'm going to try is:

1. Have phone forget home and office wifi 2. Turn cellular off for some distracting apps. (Including stuff like email which doesn't require a fast response) 3. Put those apps on their own internet app page

Then, go somewhere with wifi and only use those apps there. I have enough data that my regular use of other apps won't be an issue.

In Cuba, I could only get internet at wifi parks. Apart from that my phone was a wonderful non distracting device which let me set timers, take notes, voice recordings, photos, view offline maps, translate things, played saved podcasts etc

It felt good to have my phone with me at all times, like it augmented things. At home it feels like something I have to keep away.

This may not work, as I can just flip on cell data for those apps. If it doesn't work I'll search for a different solution. But I'm hoping the physical segregation of apps will be enough as a cue.

Re: Apple needs to tackle the issue of smartphone addiction

#66

Post by Retric »

dayjah wrote: post #48
cuddlybacon wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I’ve taken to yelling “get of your effing phone” at drivers obviously looking down at devices while I’m driving, walking or cycling around; I think the phone doing that would be more efficient. My iPhone does do that. If it thinks I'm driving, it makes me tap a button that says "I'm not driving." in order to continue.

This can be turned off in settings; I’d be interested in knowing how many of us have done that (I have mine on).

A fairly large number of people don't drive but have cellphones (Kids, NYC etc). So, I don't think numbers of people who turn it off is going to tell you much.

Re: Apple needs to tackle the issue of smartphone addiction

#67

Post by digi_owl »

whitepoplar wrote: post #5

I think smartphone use has split into two paths: utility and "discovery." Utilities are the tools we use every day, the tools we want to be stable, fast, and (relatively) unchanging. E.g. sms, maps, browser, phone, camera, email. "Discovery" is all the new, unstable, changing stuff. I think there's an enormous market for a utility smartphone...and it doesn't even have to be a smartphone. Something between an old Noki…

Effectively if Apple did anything for the mobile industry it was to retard it by a decade (or more), because all you describe we already had.

Re: Apple needs to tackle the issue of smartphone addiction

#68

Post by whytaka »

LeicaLatte wrote: post #4

Legitimizing smartphone addiction is the main reason why Apple will never put a dark mode in iOS. Atleast I hope they don't. It has never been a personal problem (I am carrying my own bunch of bad habits) but I hate watching friends, partners constantly checking their phones in the night.

I think they just deployed a "smart inverted mode" that inverts the colours of everything except images/videos.

Re: Apple needs to tackle the issue of smartphone addiction

#70

Post by Jyaif »

DonaldPShimoda wrote: post #26

Something that I don't know if they've mentioned specifically in public was that the Apple Watch was partly designed to deal with smartphone addiction. I don't have a citable source handy here, so it's just my word, but when I interned with Apple last year there were a few "town hall" events where interns could ask questions of senior management (Cook, Ahrendts, Cue, Maestri, etc). At one of them (I think the Tim Coo…

Wasn't the town hall's content confidential? If you are going to leak things, at least do it anonymously.
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