Smartphones: Our greatest academic assassins

Three weeks until exams and you’re all set to conquer that mountain of notes. But somehow the internet’s irresistible trap pulls you in. One minute, you’re telling yourself you’ll just check Instagram for a second, next, you’re deep into a Netflix binge and—poof! your prep time is gone. With just one day left, you skim through the entire syllabus, promising you’ll start early next time. But this cycle is like your persistent ex—it just won’t stop chasing you. Sounds familiar?

In today’s hyper-connected world, our phones have become like those sirens from Greek mythology. It is luring us into the digital Bermuda Triangle. Our notifications buzz, and before we know it, we're in this whirlpool of mindless scrolling. But let’s face it, we all know that watching viral cat videos or the maddening Tiktok trends, isn’t going to help us write our assignments or pass our exams. So, why do we keep diving into this self-sabotaging scroll-fest?

Here are a few reasons that spring to mind: Smartphones are designed in such a way, they are meant to be addictive. With every little notification, our brain’s reward system, which is driven by several neurotransmitters, releases a little hit of the ‘feel-good’ chemical called dopamine, the same chemical that makes gambling or drugs so alluring. Interestingly, as time goes by, the pleasure from these small dopamine hits can decline, which can turn into a need for more frequent stimulation to get the same level of pleasure. This creates a loop where we continue to scroll, not because it particularly makes us feel good, but because it helps us distract ourselves as a form of escapism. 

Also, most of us often have a tendency to believe that we can control our time spent on social media and will get back to our tasks shortly. This cognitive bias leads us to underestimating how much time we spent scrolling and overestimating our ability to manage it effectively. Another propensity is that we focus on immediate gratification over prioritizing long-term goals like academic achievements, which takes consistent effort and dedication and is mostly not very enjoyable as well. This need for instant gratification that we get from surfing social media with its bottomless bowls is more enticing than the gradual satisfaction that comes from doing significant tasks.

Now here’s the kicker, screen addiction isn’t just a harmless distraction. Much research has shown that excessive use of smartphones can severely hamper our focus and memory while also altering the volume and density of gray matter in our brain, which are crucial for processing information and cognitive functioning. When we are glued to our phone, our brain is on a constant dopamine drip, making it nearly impossible to concentrate. The result? You’re skimming through the entire syllabus at the last minute, and those solid study plans you made? They’re now just a faint memory.

There’s more. This silent epidemic doesn’t just wreck our grades; it’s also a stealthy assassin of our overall wellbeing. It has also been seen that excessive phone use is highly linked with anxiety, depression, insomnia, feeling of never-ending restlessness, the list goes on…. That constant need to check our phone is like a hamster wheel, making us feel mentally and emotionally exhausted, which prevents us from being productive and getting better results.

A willpower issue?

Some people might say, ‘Just stop doing that!’ But if we were to acknowledge it’s an addiction, that is like telling a smoker, ‘Hey, just quit smoking!’ Sure, it makes sense, but it doesn’t work. Relying on willpower alone is like bringing a butter knife to a sword fight.

So, how do we fix this compulsive overconsumption? Simple. Fight fire with fire. No pun intended!

There are technologies designed specifically to help us quit our tech addiction. Personally, I use an app called Opal, which has been a game-changer. It tracks our screen time and also blocks distracting sites for the next 24-hours when we reach a certain time limit, acting as a digital personal trainer for our brain. 

Turning off less important notifications is another smart move. Our phone doesn’t need to buzz every time someone likes our post or sends us a message or we get a new email. By silencing the noise, we can reset our focus and stay on track with our important tasks.

Another nifty trick is to use the Pomodoro Technique. It is a time management method, which helps to improve productivity and focus by breaking work into intervals, typically 25 minutes. Instead of working for just 25 minutes and taking a 5-minute break, we can try working for 50 minutes and then rewarding ourselves with a 10-minute break for better attention and efficiency. 

Additionally, we can designate certain areas in our house where gadgets are off-limits, like our study space or the dining table. This physical separation can help us reduce mindless checking. Avoid taking the phone to bed. It interferes with the sleep we need to function fully the next day. Instead, buying an alarm clock is a much better option. Lastly, digital detoxing is another way to mitigate the problem. We need to have a life outside of our screen. Dedicating two or three days a week to going screen-free and using that time connecting with friends or family in real life, enjoying nature, or getting into a new hobby can be a refreshing reset that can work wonders for our cognitive functioning. 

It is important to remember that there are people behind the screen, who are cashing in on our attention, hooking us to keep us distracted. So, we must take it upon ourselves to set boundaries and do better.

Aishwarya Koirala

BA IIIrd Year

St Xavier’s College, Maitighar