Overdependence on the Smartphone can throw ups side effects that can fatigue the brain, experts point out, and now many users are hitting back by going ‘dumb’,
finds Anju Munshi
For years, we thought technology knows best. Like providing a smart way to keep up-to-date with the hand-held phone. Now, many people—especially young adults — are realising that too much screen time is draining their feeling of wellness and loss of focus. Many just want to switch off.
“A fatigue has set in. We are trying to reclaim our time and peace,” says Seema Goyal, an entrepreneur from Mumbai.
Phones today are designed to be addictive. Apps like TikTok and Instagram use bright colours, ‘likes’, and endless scrolling to trap our attention. Social media keeps one engrossed and every time you open an app, your brain gets a tiny chemical rush of excitement. Who is doing what, and how far you are behind him or her, sets in a sense of anxiety, even a feeling of worthlessness.
Lucky Kaul from Hyderabad begs to differ. “I’m very happy with my smartphone and would not discontinue the usage,” he says. He is a graduate from IIM, Ahmedabad, and thinks that self-control and discipline is a better option than doing away with smartphones. “Any technology needs to be controlled, including AI and even nuclear programmes. I got my iPhone when I was in Class Eleven. Today the scene is different. You’ve to be in tandem with the times. Otherwise, peer pressure will make the children feel out of place.”
Social habit counsellors opine otherwise. “Constant stimulation burns you out. It leaves you feeling anxious, shortens your attention span, and makes it hard to focus,” says Deepika Shikhar, a counsellor from Jammu.
“With a smartphone, you are always available. You get work emails at dinner, news alerts about disasters, and photos of friends having fun. It’s informative but also creates a hidden stress. You feel that you can never truly relax or disconnect. And if you miss anything you have a fear of missing out,” feels Abhimanyu Jha, a school student from Kolkata.
Recent scientific research is increasingly validating these concerns. Studies published in journals such as the Journal of Behavioral Addictions and Nature Human Behaviour have found that excessive smartphone use is associated with higher levels of anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality and reduced attention span, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Researchers say the problem is not merely the amount of time spent on phones but the constant switching between apps, notifications and social media feeds, which fragments attention and makes sustained concentration more difficult.
Evidence also suggests that reducing smartphone use can produce measurable benefits within weeks. In controlled studies, participants who cut down social media or smartphone use reported lower stress levels, improved mood, better sleep and greater life satisfaction. Neuroscientists explain that frequent notifications and endless scrolling activate the brain’s reward system by releasing dopamine, encouraging users to check their phones repeatedly. Over time, this habit can make periods of silence or inactivity feel uncomfortable, reinforcing compulsive phone-checking behaviour even when there is no urgent need.
Think of the days when we had a landline. There was more time to talk with family members, and ensure privacy even. These days you notice members with their heads down and eyes glued on the Smartphone even at family gatherings or at the dining table.
“I am determined to get out of this habit and am switching to basic dumbphones. The smartphones may even entail security risks. Details about our banks, passwords, etc. can be available on the phone and risk our privacy,” says Salma Zahoor, a textile entrepreneur from Kolkata.
Many agree that by removing multiple apps, one can reclaim time and enjoy simple things again – like reading a book, talking to people face-to-face, or just sitting quietly with your own thoughts, and being focussed on what is at hand.
“When you spend hours switching between apps every few seconds, you are actually training your brain to have a short attention span. You become addicted to constant interruptions,” says Arunima Mukherjee, a consultant psychotherapist from Dehradun, founder of Incluir Wellness Mental Health Clinic.
“Smartphone fatigue is one of the top three stressors today for both youngsters and middle-aged people. Often youngsters are not aware about how fatigue affects them, but they can experience brain fog during exams or daily classes. It’s an attention fragmentation caused by smartphone usage,” she adds.
Psychologists say that concentration is like a muscle—if you do not use it, you lose it. Without a phone buzzing next to you, your brain can finally focus deeply enough to learn and solve problems.
“Every time you quickly check your phone and look back at your homework or project, a piece of your thoughts stays stuck on your phone,” Mukherjee says.
Experts say that excessive phone use is linked to poor sleep, mental fatigue, and increased risk of burnout. And advise practical ways to shift phone habits and reclaim energy, focus, and mental clarity.
Many countries like Australia, Britain, and a host of others are now banning Smartphone use for teenagers of a certain age to wean them away from this modern day addiction.
“Our phones are like crutches. They work like shields that protect us from uncomfortable or boring situations, a false comfort factor. Hiding behind a screen means we avoid facing tough situations that enable building a strong character,” says Veena Sethi, trend-setter from Delhi.
When you step away from social media and instant messaging, there is no instant gratification, true, but many feel that our social confidence grows as we practice looking people in the eye, reading body language, and engaging in real-time conversations instead of hiding behind texts.
Furthermore, creativity thrives. Our mind needs to daydream, reflect, and come up with creative ideas – basics of being humans.
Trans World Features (TWF)
