Most of our thumbs put on a sweatband and act as if they are preparing to get ready for the school pacer test. Hours pass and there is a persistent ache in your thumb, a reminder of how long you have been scrolling.

The truth of the matter is that thumbs are not meant to scroll on social media all day. Most of us want to put down our phone but feel stuck in the normality of being glued to our phones. Here is how to beat that debilitating cell phone addiction. 

How to set limits on apps: 

Now, I know what you are thinking: “Why on earth would I set limits on my apps? Is that not for children?” The simple answer is no. The main reason that parents set limits on their children’s apps is because they do not want them to become addicted to their phone. 

I am not going to be the one to say that it is super easy to combat a scrolling addiction because the truth of the matter is that it is not. Society today is dependent on their phones, on social media, on electronics in general; do not blame yourself if you have a phone addiction, as it is society’s “new normal.” 

        Going into your phone’s settings and creating a simple one-hour time limit on apps is a way to stop scrolling when you are simply bored. Setting limits makes you more aware of how much time you truly spend on each app and how much time is wasted glued to your phone. 

Setting limits is the perfect solution to time management on your phone. When we set time limits we are essentially creating a physical goal of only going on certain apps for a certain amount of time. Think of it as a goal, not a limitation. That way, it will allow you to feel far more accomplished. 

How to stop using your phone at night:

It has been proven that if you use your phone right before bed, it can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. I have fallen victim to this. The other night, I watched TikTok before bed, tried to go to bed and then could not because I could feel my mind racing with the thoughts of what I saw on TikTok. 

I woke up every hour, my thoughts still racing and feeling as if my brain was running laps. I then went to class exhausted and could not focus. I am sure that this story is not foreign to you and many have experienced something similar, if not this exact situation. 

One hour before you go to bed, set your alarm and then put your phone across the room. This is efficient in more ways than one. 

To start, it would force you to get up and walk across the room if you have any sort of inkling to go on or check your phone. Secondly, it allows your mind to decompress one hour before bed. Lastly, when you wake up in the morning it combats the easiness of just reaching over and clicking the snooze button. 

Besides, there are many more things that could be done in that hour to wind down before bed. Pick up a book that you have been meaning to read, draw a picture, think about your schedule and the upcoming days ahead or maybe stretch or do some type of yoga to wind down before bedtime. Use that hour before bed to get more in tune with yourself, your mind and your body. 

How to stop notifications:  

Will you be drawn to going on social media apps if you do not get any notifications for them? Do you really need to know the exact moment your favorite celebrity posts? Do you really need to know who exactly liked your Instagram post? The simple answer here is no. 

There are many different ways to stop your notifications. What I do for my phone is head into my settings and turn off notifications for everything except for messages and phone calls. Since doing this  I realized that I am not as inclined to go on any form of social media. 

Granted, I will be the first to admit that this is not the “end all be all” solution to breaking the phone addiction, however, it certainly helps. Social media, after all, is what makes our phones more interesting to us and what causes that addiction. Turning off those notifications makes you less prone to constantly checking your lockscreen. 

Another way to turn off notifications without having it feel super permanent is to set your phone to “do not disturb.” When you set your phone to this setting you are the one to determine what kind of notifications you can get. This setting can also be turned on and off with a simple click of a button, which is a way to feel as if you are more “in control” of turning these notifications on or off. 

Weekly book and song recommendations to stop the phone addiction: 

Reading is my favorite thing to do whenever I want a break from my phone. Plus, whenever I read I always feel more accomplished because I know I pursued an activity that strengthens my brain. This week my book recommendation is one of my all time favorites, “The Hunger Games.”

This book is the first book of the dystopian science-fiction series. Within this book, the protagonist Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take the place of her sister in the annual Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a televised competition where a male and female tribute from each of the twelve districts fight to the death until only one victor remains. 

If you would like a song that goes along with the book, my best suggestion for the song of the week is “Safe and Sound (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift. Swift made this song for the first movie’s soundtrack when it was released and she just recently re-recorded the song in preparation for her tour. It fits the book perfectly and makes you feel as if you are immersed into the world of Panem itself.