Why Are You So Addicted To Your Smartphone?

Summary

The video script discusses the concerning overuse of technology, particularly smartphones, and its impact on mental health, with a focus on social media's contribution to depression. It highlights global smartphone usage statistics, revealing South Korea's highest penetration and Brazil's longest daily usage. The script also addresses the addictive nature of likes and notifications, comparing them to Pavlov's experiments, and suggests strategies for reducing dependency to improve well-being.

Takeaways

• 📱 Technology overuse is a concern due to its potential negative impact on mental health.
• 🌐 South Korea has the highest smartphone penetration, followed by Australia, Israel, the U.S., Spain, and the UK.
• 🕒 Brazil leads in daily smartphone usage at 4 hours 48 minutes, with the U.S. averaging 2 hours 37 minutes.
• 🌍 Time spent on smartphones has significantly increased from 2012 to 2016 across all studied countries.
• 🌐 Thais spend the most time online at 9 hours 38 minutes per day, with the Philippines and Brazil following closely.
• 📈 Social media is a major reason for time spent online, with the Philippines being the biggest users.
• 📊 In the U.S., Facebook tops smartphone usage at 19%, followed by music, media, messaging, gaming, and utilities.
• 😢 Excessive social media use can lead to depression, according to the American Psychological Association.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Social media can create a culture of envy and competition, affecting our sense of well-being.
• 🚫 Critics suggest that technology, like gambling, should be regulated to prevent overuse and addiction.

Q & A

What has been a recent concern regarding technology use?

The overuse or misuse of technology has been a concern because it may not be good for mental health, with some technology creators warning against it, especially for children.

Which former Facebook executive expressed concern about children using the platform?

A former Facebook executive has not been named in the script, but it mentions that this person believes children should not be on the platform.

What is the term used to describe people who are excessively connected to their smartphones?

The term used to describe people who are excessively connected to their smartphones is 'smartphone zombies'.

Which country has the highest smartphone penetration according to Pew Research?

According to Pew Research, South Korea has the highest smartphone penetration.

How many hours per day do Brazilians spend on average connected to a smartphone?

Brazilians spend the most hours on average connected to a smartphone at 4 hours and 48 minutes per day.

What is one of the main reasons people spend time online according to the 'We Are Social' report?

One of the main reasons people spend time online is the use of social media.

Which country spends the most time online according to a 2018 report?

Thailand spends the most time online with an average of 9 hours and 38 minutes per day.

What is the leading activity on smartphones in the U.S. according to Mobile Insights?

The leading activity on smartphones in the U.S. is spending time on Facebook, accounting for 19 percent of the time.

What potential negative effect of social media use is mentioned in the American Psychological Association's report?

The American Psychological Association's report suggests that too much social media use can lead to depression.

What did Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg say about the desired use of Facebook?

Mark Zuckerberg stated that he wanted people to spend only quality time on Facebook, being active and communicating, rather than just swiping.

What is the psychological phenomenon that is compared to our reaction to smartphone notifications?

The psychological phenomenon compared to our reaction to smartphone notifications is Pavlov's dog experiment, where the sound of a bell signaled food and caused the dog to salivate.

What are some of the negative impacts of excessive smartphone use on individuals?

Excessive smartphone use can affect sleep, relationships, work, and overall well-being, potentially leading to depression or feelings of envy and insecurity.

What advice does the script give to counteract smartphone addiction?

The script suggests turning off notifications, having a daily plan, and removing unnecessary apps to help wean off the digital fix and spend more time in real life.

Outlines

00:00

📱 The Impact of Smartphone Overuse

This paragraph discusses the societal concern over technology overuse, particularly in social media platforms like Facebook. It highlights the opinions of tech creators who warn against the potential negative effects, especially on children. The script references a Pew Research study on smartphone penetration and a Statistica study indicating increased smartphone usage from 2012 to 2016. It also points out that countries like Brazil and China have high average daily smartphone usage. The paragraph further explores how social media use, especially on platforms like Facebook, can lead to depression and societal fragmentation, as suggested by various reports and tech executives. The narrative also touches on how technology, by design, manipulates users into addiction through visual appeal and the psychological reward system, akin to gambling or drug addiction.

05:01

🌐 Global Rise in Depression and Smartphone Usage

The second paragraph delves into the global increase in depression rates, as reported by the WHO, and suggests a correlation with excessive smartphone use. It emphasizes the need to use social media platforms like Facebook judiciously to avoid negative psychological impacts. The paragraph also discusses the irresistible nature of smartphones, drawing an analogy with Pavlov's experiments to explain how notifications condition users to check their phones frequently. It outlines the potential detrimental effects of this behavior on sleep, relationships, and productivity. The script concludes with suggestions for reducing dependency on smartphones, such as turning off notifications and focusing on quality device time, and encourages viewers to share their thoughts on the issue.

Keywords

💡Technology Overuse

Technology overuse refers to the excessive or improper use of technology, particularly digital devices and platforms. In the video, it is highlighted as a cause for concern due to its potential negative impact on mental health and social skills. The script mentions how creators of technology have expressed concerns about its overuse, especially among children.

💡Social Media

Social media is a term that encompasses online platforms where users can create and share content or participate in social networking. The video discusses the potential negative effects of social media, such as increased depression and the creation of a competitive environment that can lead to feelings of envy and inadequacy.

💡Smartphone Zombies

The term 'smartphone zombies' is used in the script to describe people who are excessively attached to their smartphones, often to the point of distraction or addiction. It ties into the theme of technology overuse and how it affects daily life, with the study mentioned indicating significant time spent on smartphones in certain countries.

💡Digital Drugs

Digital drugs is a metaphor used in the video to describe the addictive nature of technology and social media. It suggests that the constant need to check devices and receive digital rewards (likes, notifications) is similar to a drug addiction, with potential negative consequences on mental health.

💡Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. In the context of the video, it is mentioned to explain the addictive nature of technology. The 'hits' of dopamine that users receive from likes or other digital rewards are compared to a drug, potentially leading to overuse and negative outcomes.

💡Depression

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in activities. The video discusses how excessive use of technology and social media might contribute to rising rates of depression, especially among younger users.

💡Narcissism

Narcissism is a personality trait characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and a need for admiration. The video uses the term to describe how social media can foster a self-absorbed online persona, contributing to a distorted sense of self and potentially negative social comparisons.

💡Pavlov's Dog

Pavlov's Dog refers to the psychological concept of classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus (like a bell) becomes associated with a response (salivating) through repeated pairing. The video uses this analogy to describe how the sound of a smartphone notification can trigger an automatic, excitable response in users, similar to Pavlov's experiment.

💡Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms are physical or mental responses that occur when reducing or stopping the use of a substance to which a person has developed dependence. The video suggests that individuals may experience such symptoms when they attempt to reduce their smartphone usage, indicating a level of dependency.

💡Quality Time

Quality time refers to engaging in meaningful and focused interactions or activities. In the video, Mark Zuckerberg's suggestion to use Facebook for 'quality time' implies using the platform in a way that is beneficial and enriching, rather than aimlessly scrolling out of habit or addiction.

💡The Center for Humane Technology

The Center for Humane Technology is an organization mentioned in the video that aims to promote healthier relationships with technology. It is part of a broader movement to address the potential negative impacts of technology addiction and to advocate for more ethical tech design.

Highlights

Concerns about the overuse and misuse of technology are increasingly discussed in the media.

Tech creators have warned that their products might be harmful, especially for children.

Excessive connectivity is linked to potential declines in social skills and increased depression, particularly among the young.

South Korea has the highest smartphone penetration, followed by Australia, Israel, the U.S., Spain, and the UK.

People in Brazil spend the most time on smartphones, averaging 4 hours and 48 minutes per day.

From 2012 to 2016, the average time spent on smartphones by individuals increased significantly.

Thais spend the most time online, averaging 9 hours and 38 minutes per day.

Social media use is one of the main reasons for time spent online.

In the U.S., Facebook usage accounts for 19% of smartphone active use time.

Excessive social media use can lead to depression, according to the American Psychological Association.

A former Facebook executive described social media as 'ripping society apart'.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized the importance of quality time on Facebook.

The Center for Humane Technology was formed to address technology addiction.

Devices are compared to casinos, with critics suggesting the need for 'zoning laws' for technology.

Psychologists suggest that the constant checking of phones is akin to Pavlov's dog experiment.

Technology use can affect sleep, relationships, work, and creativity.

Psychologists recommend reducing phone checks and focusing on 'device quality time'.

Experts suggest strategies to wean off digital fixes and spend more time in real life.

Depression is on the rise globally, especially among teens, according to the WHO.

Transcripts

Our use of technology, or perhaps overuse or misuse, has been something of a cause celebre

in the media of late.

That’s partly because some of those that created the technologies have now come out

and said some of them are very likely not good for you.

One former executive at Facebook has said he doesn’t believe children should even

be on the platform.

But we can’t blame social media alone; countless articles of late have stated that we are probably

just too connected, which is affecting our social skills and making us more depressed

– especially the young.

But why can’t we put our gadgets down, and what exactly are the negative consequences

of too much time spent on our devices?

That’s what we’ll find out today, in this episode of the Infographics Show, Why Are

You So Addicted to Your Smartphone?

Pew Research recently released the details of a study which told us where in the world

was the biggest smartphone penetration.

South Korea was top, followed by Australia, Israel, the U.S, Spain and the UK.

But that doesn’t mean people in those countries are actually using their phone all the time,

or does it?

Well, based on a 2016 study led by Statistica, it does look like people in those countries

might fall into the category of being a “smartphone zombie.”

The study said Brazilians spent the most hours on average connected to a smartphone at 4

hours 48 minutes per day.

Next was China at 3 hours 3 minutes, followed by the U.S. (2 hours 37 minutes), Italy (2

hours 34 minutes), Spain (2 hours 11 minutes) and South Korea (2 hours 10 minutes).

One thing rang true for all countries in the study, and that was the fact time spent on

a smartphone for the average person was up quite a lot from 2012 to 2016.

If we look at which countries spend most time online, different studies give different results.

One of the most recent ones from 2018 tells us it’s the Asians that don’t log off

so often.

The report, called We Are Social, said Thais spend the most time online with an average

of 9 hours and 38 minutes per day.

The Philippines was next at 9 hours 29 minutes and Brazil following at 9 hours and 14 minutes.

You had to go down the list a fair bit to find the U.S., UK, Australia, or indeed many

European nations.

The same report stated that use of social media was one of main reasons for time being

spent online, putting the Philippines as the biggest social media users, Brazil in second,

Indonesia in third and Thailand in fourth.

What we are all doing when we are using our smartphone is not an easy question to answer,

but one study by Mobile Insights gave some numbers on what people in the U.S. are doing

when they actively use their smartphone. 19 percent of the time was spent on Facebook,

and that was the leading usage time.

Music, media and entertainment was next at 14 percent, followed by messaging at 12 percent,

gaming at 11 percent, and utilities at 9 percent of the time.

Trailing behind was shopping, productivity, and YouTube.

Maybe that’s you right now.

If Facebook is number one, then we guess we should start there.

What’s so bad about using Facebook?

Quite a lot apparently.

The American Psychological Association issued a recent report saying that too much social

media use can lead to depression.

Soon after, big Apple investors stated that they were concerned about the impact device

use is having on society.

Late last year, a former Facebook executive said social media was “ripping society apart”,

calling it a beast and saying he’d never allow his kids to use it.

This led to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg issuing statements saying he wanted people to spend

only quality time on Facebook, and that meant being active and communicating, and not just

swiping.

Soon after that, lots of leading tech execs got together to form The Center for Humane

Technology to, “liberate us from technology addiction.”

So, what is going here?

We might remember what American author Jonathan Franzen once wrote for the New York Times,

in that making liking something not so natural and more of a consumer choice, we are dehumanizing

interaction.

He also talked about narcissism and how our online persona exists in a kind of flattering

hall of mirrors.

More recently, Tristan Harris talked about how our devices manipulate us into using them.

It’s a kind of aesthetic thing sometimes, so he wants to make smartphones less visually

appealing.

Wired reported that Harris believes our gadgets are “an existential threat to human beings.”

In the same story Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California,

said technology was addictive just like a drug.

For every like we get, or Pokémon we catch, we get a hit of dopamine.

And we want more…and more.

“But if you overstimulate dopamine neurons, they die,” he said, and this might lead

to depression or even suicidal thoughts.

Others have talked about Facebook’s culture of envy.

Seeing what we don’t have, or can’t have, daily, all the time, as everyone marches on

through what might seem at times to be their perfect lives.

Being so connected might make us vulnerable to insecurities, as in some ways social media

can be quite competitive.

We want this positive feedback loop, but it’s not the same as physical interaction.

As one writer called it, “The human bond, so essential to our well-being, has become

desiccated within the apathetic medium of the online hub.

Social networks have become bottomless pools into which billions of modern Narcissists

sit entranced staring at their own virtual reflections.”

We don’t need to tell you about the fate of Narcissus.

We might ask if this has anything to do with all those reports around the world that tell

us depression is on the rise, especially in teens.

Most reports in English refer to the U.S. and the UK, but the WHO in 2017 released a

study stating that depression was on the rise globally.

So, maybe we should follow Zuckerberg’s advice and use Facebook sparingly and try

and use it for the good of our minds, for our edification, rather than something that

makes us feel insecure or envious… or just because we are nosey.

But Facebook is only part of the reason why we can’t put our phones down.

We have this exciting thing in our pocket that flashes and beeps and looks so inviting,

spurring one critic to compare it to opening a casino on every street corner.

For him there should be zoning laws for technology as there are for casinos.

NPR in 2018 talked about this manipulative object we carry around with us, that is just

so irresistible.

The story mentions Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov, and what we know as Pavlov’s dog.

The psychologist one day realized that when his dog heard a bell or a buzzer, he knew

it was feeding time, thereby associating a sound to eating, which led to the dog drooling

and looking excited.

Modern psychologists tell us this is what is happening to us when we hear a beep or

a ding inside our pocket; we become excitable like Pavlov’s dog.

A reward is coming, and we get a hit of dopamine.

And we want more hits, damnit!

We check our phones on average every 15 minutes, and those that make the tech use psychological

tricks to keep us checking in.

We are getting our dopamine hits, but like drug addicts or gambling addicts, we are kinda

playing into someone else’s trap.

All this time spent checking in may affect our sleep, our relationships, our work, or

even all the creative things we might do to have a flourishing existence.

The long and short of it all is that psychologists tend to agree we should be checking in less,

and tech producers need to start thinking about creating less powerful digital drugs.

That isn’t easy of course, as most people now need those beeps and likes, and need to

feel they are not missing out on something.

Experts even state that by putting your phone down, you may experience withdrawal symptoms,

such as craving, restlessness, irritability or difficulty concentrating.

Serious guides are out there to help you wean off your digital fix and spend more time in

real life.

You might want to turn off notifications, have a plan for the day and stick to it, take

off the apps you don’t really need as that might lead to a kind of app surfing, much

like when you watched three hours of mind-numbing cable TV.

In general, not many people are against these technologies, but we should be focusing on

what we might call device “quality time”, educating ourselves and being productive and

creative.

We hope these few minutes have been educational for you.

So, do you think people are spending too much time on their smartphones?

Let us know in the comments!

Also, be sure to check out our other video called Most Expensive Things in the World!

Thanks for watching, and, as always, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe.

See you next time!