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Are you addicted to your smartphone?

Declutter.com has recently released a survey that reveals how addicted Americans are to their smartphones. Phones provide many opportunities for both communication (texting, emailing) and entertainment (apps, social media). Among all the features a smartphone can provide it is easy to forget to put it down - even in situations when we really need to. It turns out men are four times more likely than women to use their smartphones during a wedding.

They surveyed just over 1000 adults about their cell phone addiction, with the charts displayed differences in numbers between males and females. The focuses of the surveys were on when people used their phones, how reluctant they were to give them up and what they’d give up to keep them.

In what situations do you look at your cell?

Situations the people would look at their phones included time with family, with friends, on a date, at a funeral, in the bathroom and many more. Additionally when people were asked in which situations they used their cell in, a link between phone use and sleep was found. 67% of respondents admitted to checking their phone before they turned in and 66% said it was the first thing they do when they wake up.

Would you rather be without your cell or without…

People were asked what they were willing to give up instead of being without their phone included new clothes, sports, alcohol, relationships, social media, video games and so many more. Women were twice as likely to miss their phone because they can’t take a photo or video, while 83% of men said that not being able to stream movies and TV shows was the worst part - compared with just 17% of women.

Have you ever had a detox from your cell?

The three responses on this portion of the survey included “No, but I think a detox is a good idea”, “No, I don’t need a detox” and “Yes”. 70% of people believe they don’t need a cellphone detox at all. By a ratio of 56:44, women were to believe a detox would be a good idea, with only 6% of people actually trying it.

Cell phones are a huge part of life, but what about the huge effect that cell addiction can be having on our lives. If you’d like a hand breaking a bad cell-checking habit, why not consider selling your phone to Decluttr today? Declutter.com is a fast, easy and free way to sell CDs, DVDs, games, books, cell phones and tech. Liam Howley, marketing director at Decluttr, comments: “While smartphones can be an extremely useful tool for information and entertainment, they can also lead to users missing out on what’s actually going on around them. Our survey suggests that men may be zoning out important occasions such as weddings in favor of checking their phones or falling short of paying attention to their family members, friends or even their date.” Decluttr also provides some tips you can use to take a break from their phones.

Decluttr’s tips for weaning yourself off your cell phone:

  1. Gradually leave bigger gaps between checking your messages or social media posts. If you normally check every 15 minutes, make it once an hour, if every hour, leave it for 2-3 hours etc. Build up to only checking two or three times a day. You can let friends/work colleagues know in advance that you’re going to be doing this and that if there’s an emergency where they need an urgent response from you, they can call you.

  2. If you think you’ll get bored without your phone to turn to, think of ways you can fill your time instead. Read a book or listen to music when you’re traveling on public transport or waiting around. You could also make better use of your time learning a new skill or doing some exercise.

  3. In social situations, only use your phone if you’re sharing something with the people you’re with – looking up information or posting a social media post that includes your friends.

  4. Don’t check your phone when you’re on a date, or with someone you’re meant to be spending one to one time with. Focus on whoever you are with and give them your full attention.

  5. Be fully present and start to appreciate being in the ‘here and now’. Take notice of what’s going on around you, connecting with real people in the real world.

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