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top being sucked in. It is easy is to be pulled-in by your phone, but DP asks, Has the time come to end that mindless compulsion, cleanse yourself and reclaim your focus? According to Greek mythology, the song of the Sirens was so enchanting that anyone who heard it was drawn in and captive forever. Determined to hear the sweet sound for himself, Homer’s hero, Odysseus, ordered his crew to tie him to the ship’s mast and keep him there until it was safely out of range. The crew themselves were advised to fill their ears with beeswax, lest they too fell under the spell of the Sirens. 3,000 years later, we battle with our own siren: the chirrup of smartphone notifications. And with 78% of people in the UK claiming they could not live without their phone, according to a report by Ofcom – the UK’s
telecommunications regulator – it seems that their power is equally as irresistible, Believe it or not, it is now 11 years since the release of the first iPhone. Since then, the call of the handheld has become so enchanting that it interrupts meetings, conversations and even family interactions. According to the same Ofcom report, more than 50% of smartphone users admit to interrupting conversations with friends or family to check their phone. And whether you’re driving, eating, putting the kids to bed or even having ‘quiet’ time – according to a 2018 report in PC Mag (Australia), 77% of survey respondent said they took their phone into
the loo whilst at work – the merest beep from a device demands immediate attention, despite the inconvenience involved in doing so. This compulsion – described by many as FOMO: fear of missing out – is a problem across the developed world. In the UK, Ofcom reveals that people check their phone, on average, every 12 minutes, and 40% of adults admit to looking at their phone within five minutes of waking up. In Australia, the latest annual Deloitte report on mobile phone usage shows that almost 40% of Australians believe they use their phones too much. Yet, despite that belief, only half are actually trying to do something about it. And of those who do, say Deloitte, 1 in 3 will fail. Aware of the growing concern over usage, in the last 12 months both Google and Apple have launched features that enable users
to track the amount of time spent on the phone, and set limits. Many other apps that perform the similar functions already exist and can be downloaded on both platforms, although The New York Times claims that Apple may be purging some from its store. In any event, the concept of ‘digital detoxing’ is becoming more and more popular. Australian charity, Beyond Blue, is convinced of the benefits of doing so. They say that a digital detox will lead to a ‘more content and calmer you’, and reference thousands of social experiments in which those who have taken a break from technology have admitted to being less stressed. They also claim that once you realise how much time you waste online, you will: find you are more productive, have healthier relationships, sleep better, and feel fitter.
