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Addiction- but not in the way you might think

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by alienatedapple, Dec 14, 2015.

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  1. alienatedapple

    alienatedapple
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    How can I, a teenager who has no social life and always is on the Internet, put my phone down and stop procrastinating?
    Lately I've been realizing that my phone- being on it 24/7 is both distracting and exhausting. How can I find the motivation to A) get off my phone, and B) stop procrastinating and get things done?

    Recently, after being grounded from this terribly distracting device for the weekend, I realized that hey, without my phone I'm open to do so many more things. Really, it seems silly, and like the problem of yet another overdramatic, hormonal teen. In all honesty, you could really say just that. But however insignificant the problem, screens have taken over my life. I'm always chatting to friends, browsing through social media, or even on here. The source of both my anxiety and mental health issues stems from this tiny, four inch screen. I stay up late when I should be doing homework, go on tumblr instead of hanging out with my family. In other words, how can I get off my lazy ass and start becoming a part of the real world? I have the willpower, and the means to do so, I simply lack the motivation.

    Any advice for weaning me off this soul sucker? As well as advice for simply being more productive. I'm generally a pretty lazy person- but since finding this amazing new network of social media and stupid games, you could say my laziness has gone from a five to an eleven. Like any other addiction, (because really, that's what it is) it's way easier said then done to put down my phone and move on with my life. Silly? Yes. But nonetheless, it's really affecting my both me and others around me. I know this has nothing to do with LGBTQ, but I had no other way to ask for advice, and no other place to post this. Apologies, for wasting your time, don't feel obliged to answer this thread at all- but I would really appreciate it. :slight_smile:
     
    #1 alienatedapple, Dec 14, 2015
  2. Aspen

    Aspen
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    For procrastinating, make a list of everything you need to get done. Then work your way through it, one thing at a time. Give yourself rewards for each item, like a single Youtube video. Speaking from personal experience, never use Tumblr as a reward. You can say you'll only scroll for five minutes until it's two hours later and nothing has been done.

    As for your phone, do whatever you need to. Close everything you have open. Put it away. Put it on silent. Turn it off. If you're chatting with real life friends, make real life plans. Give yourself times that you can check your messages, like right after dinner or before you go to bed or just when you've finished your to do list.
     
    #2 Aspen, Dec 15, 2015
  3. Open Arms

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    You are suffering from probably the most common addiction of your generation, and good on you for actually admitting it. I don't even own a cell phone, but as some may have noticed, I've gotten addicted to EC and the internet in general and will have to deal with that in 2016. One of my New Year's Resolutions :slight_smile: I will just turn my laptop on at certain times and then set an alarm to limit my time on it.

    Here's an article that gives you ideas for how to combat your addiction. Scroll down on that site as there is lots of other useless stuff around those articles, but try to read through it and good luck. I wish you FREEDOM from the tyranny of the smartphone and computer.

    Smartphone Addiction: Managing Your Phone Usage Time
     
    #3 Open Arms, Dec 15, 2015
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