Researchers at the University of Washington conducted in-depth interviews to learn why we compulsively check our phones. They found a series of triggers, common across age groups, that start and end habitual smartphone use. In general, interviewees (n=39) had four common triggers for starting to compulsively use their phones: During unoccupied moments, like waiting for a friend to show up, Before or during tedious and repetitive tasks When in socially awkward situations When they anticipated...

I relate to all of these. Especially while waiting for someone.

Yes, I too relate. I seem to do it more when I am bored or feeling down.

I wonder if this upcoming publication/poster will also address how the development of problem technology use relates to these triggers (for instance, is there an absence of "end" triggers?).

This makes sense -- next time you're at a bus stop (or riding public transit), take a look around -- I guarantee that more than 50% are looking at their phones. This doesn't mean that Millennials or "kids these days" are bad or lazy or self-absorbed. Rather, it means that smartphone manufacturers and app developers have tapped into two previously-unknown parts of the human condition: a) the overwhelming urge to avoid the discomfort of "waiting", and b) the desire to be left alone in public.

One year ago today, while ill and in quarantine for weeks, after returning from a vacation quite ill, I found myself becoming far too dependent on my phone because I felt so isolated. And I realized that this wasn't the beginning of my phone dependency. Through the years my son was struggling through the toughest part of his video gaming addiction recovery, I continually checked my phone for messages from him. He needed a lot of support. And I was never far from my phone. It was during that...

Thanks for sharing that Elaine! I need to watch how much time I'm on my cell phone. When my 'smart phone' tells me how many hours I've been on a week I get a wake up call!