If you need to get a grip on your smartphone addiction, these apps will (ironically) help out in a big way.

You know the state of our collective smartphone addiction has hit defcon 1 when we start making up new words. The latest word du jour? Phubbing. It means “phone snubbing,” and according to recent research from Baylor University, this pesky habit can ruin relationships and lead to higher levels of depression.

Researchers conducted two separate surveys on the extent to which people’s relationships were being impacted by their sig-o’s smartphone addiction. “What we discovered was that when someone perceived that their partner phubbed them, this created conflict and led to lower levels of reported relationship satisfaction,” study co-author James A. Roberts, Ph.D., said in a statement. “These lower levels of relationship satisfaction, in turn, led to lower levels of life satisfaction and, ultimately, higher levels of depression.”

So if you find yourselves throwing each other shade every time your smartphones interrupt what should be an intimate moment, here are 7 apps to help you beat your smartphone addiction:

1. Moment

Okay, so even if you only check your phone five minutes here and ten minutes there, it can still add up to… well, a lot of wasted time. Moment is an iOS app that tracks how much you use your iPhone. You can set daily limits for yourself and either be notified when you go over—or get kicked off your phone altogether.

2. BreakFree

BreakFree is essentially the Android version of Moment. The app tracks exactly how you spend time on your phone, and offers guidance on how to get a grip on your smartphone addiction.

3. Flipd

If your smartphone addiction is getting in the way of your productivity, Flipd is an Android app that allows you to lock your phone for up to 12 hours. While flipped off, you can still accept phone calls and make outgoing calls to four select numbers (so choose wisely). You can even setup an auto-response text message so you don’t have to worry about ignoring your contacts as you get your work done.

4. Dinner Mode

When dinner is interrupted by constant ringing, dinging, and pinging, it’s Dinner Mode to the rescue. All you have to do is set the timer to 15, 30, or 60 minutes and place your phone face down on the table. If you pick it up before the timer’s done, an alarm goes off and completely humiliates you. Looks like you’re going to have to talk to the dude you’re dating after all. Like, with your voice.

5. App Detox

If there’s one app in particular that you just can’t quit, then App Detox is for you. This Android app lets you choose the app you need to avoid and program the specific time periods you’d like to be banned from it.

6. This.

This. is currently in beta testing, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a social media game changer. For those of us who’ve ditched sites like Facebook because of the cluttered mess they’ve become, This. allows users to share one only thing per day. One. You won’t have to cut through the crap to find out what’s going on with the people you care about, and will become more mindful of the important moments that shape who you are.

7. bSociable

bSociable is a game that you win by not using your phone. Unlike apps like Moment and BreakFree, which only keep track of how often you use your phone, this app allows you to earn rewards and “social time” for sticking to your smartphone non-use targets.

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Smartphone addiction image via Shutterstock

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Has his cell become the other woman in your relationship? Here’s how to combat his smartphone addiction.

Here’s a stat that’s (not the least bit) shocking: According to a recent study published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 70 percent of married/cohabiting women said that smartphones were interfering in their relationships.

Researchers found the majority of women had their conversations, meals or alone time interrupted by their sig-o screwing around on a device – which made them more likely to be less satisfied with their relationships and lives overall (obvi). I mean, when he ditches an important conversation you’re having because an “important” text came in, you can’t help but tear your hair out.

If you want to find harmony between your real life and digital one but his smartphone addiction is still going strong, here are 5 ways to work through it:

1. Get his attention

Instead of doing what you really want to do, which is shove his smartphone… well, you know, text him while he’s zoned out to bring him back into the present moment. A flirty text or a picture of you looking like a hot tamale to let him know what he’s missing keeps things playful, but also lets him know he’s being a total ass without actually saying it.

2. Set emergency ringtones

Depending on his job, it might be necessary for him to carry his phone with him in an emergency. Waiting on confirmation that a deal’s closed is understandable – playing Angry Birds while you wait for your appetizers is not. Talk to him about setting an emergency ring tone for his boss, or setting up alerts on specific emails so he’s only alerted to what’s important – you know, so you can enjoy your bread basket in peace.

3. Don’t follow each other on social media

His smartphone addiction is inevitably going to make you feel like he’s distant and distracted (because he is), and will encourage you to jump to the worst-case scenario. One of the most tempting – and least fulfilling – ways to fill the void is to check his social media accounts to see what he’s been up to. Insecurity breeds insecurity, and it’s not worth going down that rabbit hole. Trust.

Also, he might find it easier to check in on you through your accounts, instead of actually using his smartphone for you know, being smart and phoning you. Keep the mystery in your relationship alive by nixing cyber-drama before it starts.

4. Make your bedroom a phone-free zone

No smartphones in your bedroom. Ever. Introduce him to the wide world of alarm clocks.

5. Draw the line

We all have bad habits we’re trying to break, and we all know that successfully doing so isn’t the easiest thing in the world. It’s important to be patient and supportive as he kicks his smartphone addiction – without losing yourself in the process.

If it seems like he’s not trying very hard and you find yourself unable to finish a sentence without getting interrupted by beeping, buzzing or scrolling, it’s okay to cut your night short and make plans another time. Bad habits can be a black cavernous hole of doom, and falling off the wagon is par for the course – but you don’t have to get run over by it.

Does your guy have a smartphone addiction?

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Image: Smartphone photo via Shutterstock

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Our culture suffers from a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out)? So we’re tweeting, instagramming, or facebooking where we are, who we are with, and what we are doing, 24 hours a day. It’s hard to deny that we’re out of balance. So how can we have a healthy relationship with social media?

What the heck is FOMO?

One hot day in 2007, my colleagues and I packed into a van, leaving our demanding ecological research behind for a few days to embark on a safari trip into Kruger National Park. We were eager to see these majestic creatures in their natural habitat: Kruger is roughly the size of Isreal, where animals roam free, and roads occupy less than 10 percent of the landscape.

As the animals popped into view, we instantly started snapping picture. Herds of elephants, packs of wild dogs, and even lions mating–each one seemingly more exciting and special than the next.

“Was that a good picture?” “Did I get a good angle?” “Can you move over, I need a better shot.” The documentation couldn’t happen fast enough as we imagined who would create the champion Facebook. I already knew what I would call i: perhaps “Hakuna Matata: Timon, Pumbaa, Simba and Me Enjoying Safari”? Or “African Safari of a Lifetime: No Gun, Just Fun”?

I’m still not sure if it was triggered by the screams of my professor when a wanna-be Nat Geo photographer got her hips stuck in the tiny sliding glass window of our van as a lazy pack of lions slowly began to approach, or the glimpse of uninterrupted grace from a group of giraffes roping their black tongues around a treetops in slow motion, but all of a sudden it hit me:

No one was really seeing any of the animals. We were too busy capturing them through our tiny lenses. And for the first time, I put down my camera and just watched. There was no name for it then, but today we define this crazed addiction as FOMO.

Do you have FOMO?

“It begins with a pang of envy. Next comes the anxiety, the self-doubt, the gnawing sense of inadequacy. Finally, those feelings fizzle, leaving you full of bilious irritation.” These are the symptoms of FOMO, or fear of missing out, as accurately described by Hephizbah Anderson.  Not sure how bad you have it? There’s a FOMO quiz to diagnose your specific case.

FOMO is directly connected with our addiction to social media.  A recent study revealed smart phone users check their Facebook 14 times a day on average, spending about 32 minutes per day scrolling news feeds, liking and commenting.

The most common reason to be on platforms like Facebook is to stay in touch with distant friends, but is that what’s really happening on social media? Or are we seeking to be tied in a new way to our need for belonging and human connection?

Like so many things in life, social media is about balance. If we live behind our screens–computer, phone, camera–we miss so much of the subtle details.

Louis CK, in a raw and comedic interview about why we cling to social media, said we are afraid to feel alone. We don’t know how to be with ourselves and with our thoughts, and we’ve lost much our ability for human connection because of it.

These social media networks, which are designed to make us more social, are being overused in a way that impedes on reality. When used improperly, however, we increase social anxiety and start to create a barrier between the real world and our online life.

When FOMO takes over we lose sight of what is in front of us right now. We as humans are searching for connectivity.  That’s what we really want in life–to feel connected.  When we’re too dependent on our screens, we miss the big picture.

There is a time for sharing your excitement and thoughts via social media. But there is a fine line of getting caught up in a world that is virtual. Connect with the people in front of you, see the animals with your own eyes, so as not to lose sight of the life that is happening right now.

See Also:

7 Signs You Need A Social Media Detox

Slimming Our Social Media Appetite 

Image: garryknight

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