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Learning to look up again – controlling your smartphone addiction | Ross Sleight | TEDxLeamingtonSpa


[Applause]

[Applause] [Music]

I’d like to introduce you to a new word

I’d like to introduce you to a new word that explains what I we’re just doing

that explains what I we’re just doing

that explains what I we’re just doing then it’s called phubbing that’s phone

then it’s called phubbing that’s phone

then it’s called phubbing that’s phone snubbing using my device in public and

snubbing using my device in public and

snubbing using my device in public and ignoring the people around me or I could

ignoring the people around me or I could

ignoring the people around me or I could have said that it was techno Ference the

have said that it was techno Ference the

have said that it was techno Ference the interference of technology in our daily

interference of technology in our daily

interference of technology in our daily lives and the interruptions and

lives and the interruptions and

lives and the interruptions and intrusions that has or I could have said

intrusions that has or I could have said

intrusions that has or I could have said that I was an honorary member of details

that I was an honorary member of details

that I was an honorary member of details ow which in China means the bowed headed

ow which in China means the bowed headed

ow which in China means the bowed headed tribe or maybe as I walked onto the

tribe or maybe as I walked onto the

tribe or maybe as I walked onto the stage shuffling away my eyes glued to my

stage shuffling away my eyes glued to my

stage shuffling away my eyes glued to my device you might have called me ass mom

device you might have called me ass mom

device you might have called me ass mom bee that’s a smart phone zombie now all

bee that’s a smart phone zombie now all

bee that’s a smart phone zombie now all these new words have come into our

these new words have come into our

these new words have come into our language in the last 10 years and that’s

language in the last 10 years and that’s

language in the last 10 years and that’s directly correlated to the launch and

directly correlated to the launch and

directly correlated to the launch and the phenomenal growth and adoption of

the phenomenal growth and adoption of

the phenomenal growth and adoption of the smartphone today there’s over two

the smartphone today there’s over two

the smartphone today there’s over two and a half billion people in the world

and a half billion people in the world

and a half billion people in the world with a smartphone and that’s predicted

with a smartphone and that’s predicted

with a smartphone and that’s predicted to rise to five billion by 2020 and what

to rise to five billion by 2020 and what

to rise to five billion by 2020 and what we’ve done is we’ve effectively created

we’ve done is we’ve effectively created

we’ve done is we’ve effectively created two and a half billion new homes because

two and a half billion new homes because

two and a half billion new homes because we live and we laugh and we love and we

we live and we laugh and we love and we

we live and we laugh and we love and we cry and we work in the reflected glare

cry and we work in the reflected glare

cry and we work in the reflected glare of this five inch screen it is our

of this five inch screen it is our

of this five inch screen it is our virtual home but all these words notes

virtual home but all these words notes

virtual home but all these words notes mombi and phubbing I mean they’re not

mombi and phubbing I mean they’re not

mombi and phubbing I mean they’re not very positive about our virtual homes in

very positive about our virtual homes in

very positive about our virtual homes in fact they’re rather negative at best

fact they’re rather negative at best

fact they’re rather negative at best they’re talking about them being

they’re talking about them being

they’re talking about them being antisocial at worst they’re saying

antisocial at worst they’re saying

antisocial at worst they’re saying realistically you dehumanized your

realistically you dehumanized your

realistically you dehumanized your zombie now I’m not the person to stand

zombie now I’m not the person to stand

zombie now I’m not the person to stand up here today and damn the smartphone

up here today and damn the smartphone

up here today and damn the smartphone I’m in fact one of its biggest advocates

I’m in fact one of its biggest advocates

I’m in fact one of its biggest advocates I think it’s an amazing empowering

I think it’s an amazing empowering

I think it’s an amazing empowering enriched

enriched

enriched device for the last 20 years of my life

device for the last 20 years of my life

device for the last 20 years of my life I’ve worked in digital media and the

I’ve worked in digital media and the

I’ve worked in digital media and the last 10 years I’ve worked with

last 10 years I’ve worked with

last 10 years I’ve worked with smartphones creating products and

smartphones creating products and

smartphones creating products and services for them I’ve always tried to

services for them I’ve always tried to

services for them I’ve always tried to use technology to make people’s lives

use technology to make people’s lives

use technology to make people’s lives better to improve them to make them

better to improve them to make them

better to improve them to make them simpler to make them easier but I’m

simpler to make them easier but I’m

simpler to make them easier but I’m worried I’m worried because when I look

worried I’m worried because when I look

worried I’m worried because when I look around at POW people are using their

around at POW people are using their

around at POW people are using their smartphones and that’s not just people

smartphones and that’s not just people

smartphones and that’s not just people on the train or strangers in the street

on the train or strangers in the street

on the train or strangers in the street that’s my colleagues and my friends and

that’s my colleagues and my friends and

that’s my colleagues and my friends and my family and my teenagers we seem to be

my family and my teenagers we seem to be

my family and my teenagers we seem to be spending an increasing amount of time

spending an increasing amount of time

spending an increasing amount of time looking down glued and obsessed with

looking down glued and obsessed with

looking down glued and obsessed with this virtual home let’s see how you feel

this virtual home let’s see how you feel

this virtual home let’s see how you feel hands up if you think that you spend too

hands up if you think that you spend too

hands up if you think that you spend too much time with your smartphone wow look

much time with your smartphone wow look

much time with your smartphone wow look around lemming ttan no keep him up keep

around lemming ttan no keep him up keep

around lemming ttan no keep him up keep mark him up that’s amazing so that’s way

mark him up that’s amazing so that’s way

mark him up that’s amazing so that’s way way higher than the national average on

way higher than the national average on

way higher than the national average on average in the UK 39% of people say that

average in the UK 39% of people say that

average in the UK 39% of people say that they spend way too much time with their

they spend way too much time with their

they spend way too much time with their smartphone and that rises to 55% of

smartphone and that rises to 55% of

smartphone and that rises to 55% of people who are 16 to 35 so the younger

people who are 16 to 35 so the younger

people who are 16 to 35 so the younger you are the more likely you are to think

you are the more likely you are to think

you are the more likely you are to think that you are spending too much time with

that you are spending too much time with

that you are spending too much time with your smartphone and if you are one of

your smartphone and if you are one of

your smartphone and if you are one of those people you’re actually trying to

those people you’re actually trying to

those people you’re actually trying to change that because 74% of people who

change that because 74% of people who

change that because 74% of people who think they spend too much time on their

think they spend too much time on their

think they spend too much time on their smartphone are trying to reduce that

smartphone are trying to reduce that

smartphone are trying to reduce that time and time is a really finite

time and time is a really finite

time and time is a really finite commodity we cannot make any more of it

commodity we cannot make any more of it

commodity we cannot make any more of it it might surprise you that on average

it might surprise you that on average

it might surprise you that on average you spend 2 hours 25 minutes a day on

you spend 2 hours 25 minutes a day on

you spend 2 hours 25 minutes a day on your smartphone and if you’re considered

your smartphone and if you’re considered

your smartphone and if you’re considered to be a heavy user you will double that

to be a heavy user you will double that

to be a heavy user you will double that to 3 hours 45 minutes and the time the

to 3 hours 45 minutes and the time the

to 3 hours 45 minutes and the time the time that we spend in our virtual homes

time that we spend in our virtual homes

time that we spend in our virtual homes is at the expense of interaction in our

is at the expense of interaction in our

is at the expense of interaction in our real homes

real homes

real homes in the real world give me some examples

in the real world give me some examples

in the real world give me some examples a third of us a third of us use our

a third of us a third of us use our

a third of us a third of us use our smartphones with our friends and our

smartphones with our friends and our

smartphones with our friends and our family whilst eating 50% of us wander

family whilst eating 50% of us wander

family whilst eating 50% of us wander along the streets looking down at our

along the streets looking down at our

along the streets looking down at our smartphone 11% of us say that we

smartphone 11% of us say that we

smartphone 11% of us say that we actually crossed the road with our

actually crossed the road with our

actually crossed the road with our smartphone looking down at it a third of

smartphone looking down at it a third of

smartphone looking down at it a third of us will wake up and within five minutes

us will wake up and within five minutes

us will wake up and within five minutes reach for our smartphone and in one

reach for our smartphone and in one

reach for our smartphone and in one study amazingly one in 10 of us said

study amazingly one in 10 of us said

study amazingly one in 10 of us said that we responded to our smartphone

that we responded to our smartphone

that we responded to our smartphone whilst having sex it’s amazing isn’t it

whilst having sex it’s amazing isn’t it

whilst having sex it’s amazing isn’t it at best it is alienating at worse this

at best it is alienating at worse this

at best it is alienating at worse this is antisocial behavior now I don’t want

is antisocial behavior now I don’t want

is antisocial behavior now I don’t want to blame the device it’s not the

to blame the device it’s not the

to blame the device it’s not the smartphone’s problem the problem comes

smartphone’s problem the problem comes

smartphone’s problem the problem comes down to our behavior with the smartphone

down to our behavior with the smartphone

down to our behavior with the smartphone and that is a good thing because we can

and that is a good thing because we can

and that is a good thing because we can choose to change our behavior we can

choose to change our behavior we can

choose to change our behavior we can choose to act differently we can choose

choose to act differently we can choose

choose to act differently we can choose to stop looking down and start looking

to stop looking down and start looking

to stop looking down and start looking up so in preparation for this I did a

up so in preparation for this I did a

up so in preparation for this I did a lot of reading I talked to a lot of

lot of reading I talked to a lot of

lot of reading I talked to a lot of experts psychologists anthropologists

experts psychologists anthropologists

experts psychologists anthropologists scientists to try and find out what are

scientists to try and find out what are

scientists to try and find out what are the things that we can do to start to

the things that we can do to start to

the things that we can do to start to actively change our behavior with our

actively change our behavior with our

actively change our behavior with our virtual homes and five insights came out

virtual homes and five insights came out

virtual homes and five insights came out can across the board a consensus opinion

can across the board a consensus opinion

can across the board a consensus opinion and I want to share those with you today

and I want to share those with you today

and I want to share those with you today in order to be able to assess how we

in order to be able to assess how we

in order to be able to assess how we might begin to start looking up again

might begin to start looking up again

might begin to start looking up again so the first insight is about usage if

so the first insight is about usage if

so the first insight is about usage if you know how you use your smartphone and

you know how you use your smartphone and

you know how you use your smartphone and what you use your smartphone for you can

what you use your smartphone for you can

what you use your smartphone for you can begin to understand whether that you’re

begin to understand whether that you’re

begin to understand whether that you’re using it for the right types of things

using it for the right types of things

using it for the right types of things there are apps that you can download

there are apps that you can download

there are apps that you can download such as moment or quality time from the

such as moment or quality time from the

such as moment or quality time from the app stores

app stores

app stores and they will actually track your

and they will actually track your

and they will actually track your smartphone usage and replay that back to

smartphone usage and replay that back to

smartphone usage and replay that back to you let me tell you it is a sobering

you let me tell you it is a sobering

you let me tell you it is a sobering wake-up call and I decided to go on a

wake-up call and I decided to go on a

wake-up call and I decided to go on a significant smartphone diet when I use

significant smartphone diet when I use

significant smartphone diet when I use one of these apps and the reason was was

one of these apps and the reason was was

one of these apps and the reason was was I found that I was spending five hours a

I found that I was spending five hours a

I found that I was spending five hours a week playing candy crush what I thought

week playing candy crush what I thought

week playing candy crush what I thought was just a couple of minutes here on the

was just a couple of minutes here on the

was just a couple of minutes here on the commute or a couple of minutes and I was

commute or a couple of minutes and I was

commute or a couple of minutes and I was bored it’s half a working day spent

bored it’s half a working day spent

bored it’s half a working day spent playing a game so if you can understand

playing a game so if you can understand

playing a game so if you can understand the amount of time that you spend then

the amount of time that you spend then

the amount of time that you spend then you can begin to assess whether that

you can begin to assess whether that

you can begin to assess whether that time is valuable to be spent in our

time is valuable to be spent in our

time is valuable to be spent in our virtual homes versus our real homes the

virtual homes versus our real homes the

virtual homes versus our real homes the second area is about living in the

second area is about living in the

second area is about living in the present and making a conscious decision

present and making a conscious decision

present and making a conscious decision that when we’re with people with our

that when we’re with people with our

that when we’re with people with our friends with our colleagues to live in

friends with our colleagues to live in

friends with our colleagues to live in the present and ask don’t know we put

the present and ask don’t know we put

the present and ask don’t know we put our smartphones away we turn them off we

our smartphones away we turn them off we

our smartphones away we turn them off we put them into our pocket or into our bag

put them into our pocket or into our bag

put them into our pocket or into our bag and that’s really important because the

and that’s really important because the

and that’s really important because the very presence of a smartphone actually

very presence of a smartphone actually

very presence of a smartphone actually can reduce our cognitive mental ability

can reduce our cognitive mental ability

can reduce our cognitive mental ability it just sitting there on a table never

it just sitting there on a table never

it just sitting there on a table never mind us actually interacting with it it

mind us actually interacting with it it

mind us actually interacting with it it can make us dumber so with your

can make us dumber so with your

can make us dumber so with your smartphone put away when it turned off

smartphone put away when it turned off

smartphone put away when it turned off you have the ability to be able to pay

you have the ability to be able to pay

you have the ability to be able to pay people attention you have the ability to

people attention you have the ability to

people attention you have the ability to be able to talk to them you can live in

be able to talk to them you can live in

be able to talk to them you can live in the present with that person that’s

the present with that person that’s

the present with that person that’s really important for the third insight

really important for the third insight

really important for the third insight is that you can ask other people to do

is that you can ask other people to do

is that you can ask other people to do exactly the same when you meet someone

exactly the same when you meet someone

exactly the same when you meet someone they’ve got their smartphone out just

they’ve got their smartphone out just

they’ve got their smartphone out just say look fantastic I can’t wait to have

say look fantastic I can’t wait to have

say look fantastic I can’t wait to have this conversation but do you mind

this conversation but do you mind

this conversation but do you mind putting your smartphone away because I

putting your smartphone away because I

putting your smartphone away because I don’t want there to be a distractions

don’t want there to be a distractions

don’t want there to be a distractions when I’m talking to you and your

when I’m talking to you and your

when I’m talking to you and your behavior can become infectious and you

behavior can become infectious and you

behavior can become infectious and you can help change how other people feel

can help change how other people feel

can help change how other people feel about their smartphones the fourth

about their smartphones the fourth

about their smartphones the fourth insight that came up was one which is

insight that came up was one which is

insight that came up was one which is around not sleeping with your smartphone

around not sleeping with your smartphone

around not sleeping with your smartphone now I’m not talking about the one in ten

now I’m not talking about the one in ten

now I’m not talking about the one in ten of you who might respond to smartphone

of you who might respond to smartphone

of you who might respond to smartphone during sex although I really do think

during sex although I really do think

during sex although I really do think please do stop that and

please do stop that and

please do stop that and what I mean is that when our virtual

what I mean is that when our virtual

what I mean is that when our virtual home is by our bedside it’s the first

home is by our bedside it’s the first

home is by our bedside it’s the first thing we look at in the morning and it’s

thing we look at in the morning and it’s

thing we look at in the morning and it’s the last thing that we look at night and

the last thing that we look at night and

the last thing that we look at night and shockingly one in three of us wake up

shockingly one in three of us wake up

shockingly one in three of us wake up during the night and check our

during the night and check our

during the night and check our smartphone if it’s there in our bedroom

smartphone if it’s there in our bedroom

smartphone if it’s there in our bedroom so that is going to deprive us of sleep

so that is going to deprive us of sleep

so that is going to deprive us of sleep and depriving us of sleep know is it

and depriving us of sleep know is it

and depriving us of sleep know is it affects our mental and our physical

affects our mental and our physical

affects our mental and our physical well-being

well-being

well-being so take the smartphone out of the

so take the smartphone out of the

so take the smartphone out of the bedroom buy an alarm clock if you need a

bedroom buy an alarm clock if you need a

bedroom buy an alarm clock if you need a wake-up call even better give yourself a

wake-up call even better give yourself a

wake-up call even better give yourself a curfew with your smartphone and stop

curfew with your smartphone and stop

curfew with your smartphone and stop using it a certain amount of hours

using it a certain amount of hours

using it a certain amount of hours before bedtime

before bedtime

before bedtime give yourself some screen free time some

give yourself some screen free time some

give yourself some screen free time some decompression time some time in the real

decompression time some time in the real

decompression time some time in the real world and the fifth insight is about

world and the fifth insight is about

world and the fifth insight is about this Pavlov’s dog type of reaction that

this Pavlov’s dog type of reaction that

this Pavlov’s dog type of reaction that we have when we see a notification ping

we have when we see a notification ping

we have when we see a notification ping onto our phony fantastic notifications

onto our phony fantastic notifications

onto our phony fantastic notifications scientifically have been shown to

scientifically have been shown to

scientifically have been shown to increase our inattention and our

increase our inattention and our

increase our inattention and our hyperactivity in fact it’s all to do

hyperactivity in fact it’s all to do

hyperactivity in fact it’s all to do with FOMO our fear of missing out we

with FOMO our fear of missing out we

with FOMO our fear of missing out we must have things right now know

must have things right now know

must have things right now know something right now when in fact it’s

something right now when in fact it’s

something right now when in fact it’s probably just a a like’ or retweet or

probably just a a like’ or retweet or

probably just a a like’ or retweet or something quite insignificant coming up

something quite insignificant coming up

something quite insignificant coming up as a notification so the best thing you

as a notification so the best thing you

as a notification so the best thing you can do here is to turn your

can do here is to turn your

can do here is to turn your notifications off yeah put your phone on

notifications off yeah put your phone on

notifications off yeah put your phone on airplane mode I now say I’m not going to

airplane mode I now say I’m not going to

airplane mode I now say I’m not going to check my smartphone for an hour I’m

check my smartphone for an hour I’m

check my smartphone for an hour I’m gonna leave over there I’m not gonna

gonna leave over there I’m not gonna

gonna leave over there I’m not gonna look at it and in doing so I will feel

look at it and in doing so I will feel

look at it and in doing so I will feel better because of it because I’m not

better because of it because I’m not

better because of it because I’m not constantly being distracted and

constantly being distracted and

constantly being distracted and interrupted in my life so it’s these

interrupted in my life so it’s these

interrupted in my life so it’s these five things which help us to learn to

five things which help us to learn to

five things which help us to learn to look up again and if you can change your

look up again and if you can change your

look up again and if you can change your behavior to do these things I can

behavior to do these things I can

behavior to do these things I can promise you that you will be more

promise you that you will be more

promise you that you will be more centered more social and more enriched

centered more social and more enriched

centered more social and more enriched and more harmonious with your virtual

and more harmonious with your virtual

and more harmonious with your virtual world your virtual home and your real

world your virtual home and your real

world your virtual home and your real home

home

home so if you think that you spend too much

so if you think that you spend too much

so if you think that you spend too much time on your smartphone here’s the guide

time on your smartphone here’s the guide

time on your smartphone here’s the guide to be able to change it you can make a

to be able to change it you can make a

to be able to change it you can make a positive choice to not look down and you

positive choice to not look down and you

positive choice to not look down and you can choose to look up today thank you

can choose to look up today thank you

can choose to look up today thank you very much

”

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