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Luckily, an Austrian designer invented a device to help addicts recover when their mobile phone is not there. The device is called the Substitute Phone. The father of the invention, Klemens Schillinger, designed five different models for the Substitute Phone, but the idea behind them is basically the same.
The substitute enables users to touch it and “swipe,” “scroll,” or “pinch” its surface. The fake phone is mainly designed to help phone users not miss their phones too much when they are not around. This could also entice them to check their smartphones less.
The data shows that smartphone addiction affects at least 40 percent of teens. 2015 data shows that one in 10 adolescents were sleep deprived because of too much screen time. This marks a 58-percent increase from 1991 levels and a 17-percent increase from 2009 levels when the smartphone first hit the market.
Smartphone Addiction’s Mechanisms
A research team from the State University of New York found that too much screen time can lead to sleep deprivation especially among females.
Lead author Prof. Isaac Vaghefi, who teaches Binghamton University-State University of New York, explained that cell phones offer immediate satisfaction, which is why they can be so addictive.
He explained that when we use a smartphone, neurons are triggered and the brain releases dopamine. The mechanism is also behind our problems with boredom and short attention spans.
Moreover, another culprit behind smartphone addiction is apps since they enable users to access their favorite content much easier. In return, they flood us with updates, which we tend to check out regularity because we unknowingly seek more dopamine releases in our brains.
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