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95% of French people own a mobile phone. The 20th official mobile-free day is an opportunity to question its uses, which very often reveal a real addiction, with significant consequences. However, we can easily limit the impact of this device in our lives.

How do we do without our mobile phone? With each official day without a cellphone, we realize a little more of our dependence on this small device which is used for much more in our lives than to make calls. 95% of French people have a mobile phone, around two thirds say they are unable to live without it for a day, according to the AXA Prevention study on hyperconnection published in October 2019.

A phobia with many consequences

Specialists, psychologists, addictologists, have largely looked into this question in recent years, considered as a great disease of the 21st century: nomophobia. It is the contraction of "no mobile phobia", the excessive fear of being separated from your mobile phone. We always have our mobile on us, in the street, in shops, in transport, as soon as we do nothing. It is an addiction that can cause anxiety, sleep disorders, early myopia, social isolation or even reduced libido.

Diagnose addiction

The idea is not to do without it completely, in our hyper-connected society, it is impossible. But it must be used wisely. You still have to know and accept that you are dependent. To find out, you can make a diagnosis yourself. Applications installed on your phone, Quality Time or Moments, can analyze your device usage data and will detail your time spent on your mobile.

Thus, for example, we see the time spent in the toilet (46% of French people go there with their smartphone, 85% of adolescents, according to the AXA Prevention study). You will also know that on average, to scroll through content on your mobile, your thumb travels 180 meters per day.

A progressive detox

For a reasoned use, the specialists recommend a detox, a progressive weaning rather than a clean cut. First, tell those around you, they might be worried to see that you no longer answer immediately. Then, learn to do without it at certain times of the day, never at bedtime and upon waking up, for example. Do not use it as an alarm clock. Banish him from your bedroom. Schedule breaks: walk the dog or go for a run without it. We can also provide a place where, as soon as you arrive at home, you leave it. The telephone is like a security blanket, it must disappear from your hands and from your adult pockets.

Do not be solicited by the telephone

It's hard to forget it when it keeps reminding us that it's there, that the connected world we belong to continues without us, that it rings and vibrates regularly. The easiest way is to disable notifications, especially those from social networks and those you keep, disable sound and vibrate. Clean up your apps, uninstall anything you use to kill time. Otherwise, for the bravest, we remind you that there is a button to turn it off...