A neuroscientist has suggested a simple way for people to make their phones less addictive, something most can do on their devices. Dr Sahar Yousef of UC Berkeley explained the trick on the Diary of a CEO podcast, which involves going into the default settings of the device.
The alteration in question is moving the phone to grayscale, effectively making the screen and its contents far less vibrant and alluring to look at.
Reverse Neuroscience
After suggesting that neuroscience could be the key to making phones less rather than more addictive, Dr Yousef said: "They [phone companies] use neuroscience to get us hooked, and I think we can use reverse neuroscience to reverse this entire thing. If they increase the stimulation...you reduce it."
"The ways in which you reduce the stimulation. One, if you keep your phone in grey. So literally going into something like grey scale makes the phone less neurologically stimulating so it's a heck of a lot easier for you to actually get off your phone."
She added: "You do this in settings. And again, this is, by the way, a beautiful example of how the default settings are not here to help you. The default settings are here to help them make money off of your attention and your time."
How to Activate Grayscale on an iPhone
To enable grayscale, open the Settings app, scroll down, and tap on Accessibility. Look for the "Vision" section and tap on Display & Text Size, then select Colour Filters. Toggle the switch next to Colour Filters to turn on grayscale; it will turn green once done. The phone should instantly lose all its colour and display in shades of white, black, and grey.
Other Methods to Reduce Screen Time
Other experts, such as psychotherapist Hilda Burke, say there are additional methods to reduce screen time. One example is scheduling screen time, carving out parts of the day to look at the screen and others not to.
Speaking to the Guardian, she advised, from personal experience, to start small and go from there: "I started small. The reality is, it’s actually really difficult to go without your phone, particularly if you’re coming from a high level of dependency."
"But I think if we get to a certain stage, we start getting into the rewards. It’s no longer deprivation – it’s rewarding to choose to go without."
Burke also recommended changing the lockscreen to something that reminds you of the real world, such as friends, family, or a trip you want to go on. She further advised cutting the number of notifications that appear on your screen, putting the phone further away from your reach, and wrapping a rubber band around the device.
