Why push notifications are ruining our lives and what to do about it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

How to regain control of your time and get rid of the flow of unnecessary information.

Push notifications are ruining our lives and eating up time that we could usefully spend. “Everyone is talking about a new book - download a free excerpt!”, “Your friend just posted the first photo in a long time”, “Would you like to add Ivan Ivanov as a friend?”.

Each application installed on your smartphone increases the flow of unnecessary information.

You receive a push notification, go to Facebook to see what a stranger commented. And then automatically open Instagram when you see a new notification. You wake up at night hearing the vibration of your smartphone and read that someone has invited you to an event where you will not go.

What kind of productivity and good rest can we talk about here?

In recent years, there have been more and more calls for a reassessment of smartphone use. Their effects on vision, hearing and thought create real and serious problems.

Tony Fadell, Former Senior Director of Apple's iPod Design & Manufacturing

I know what happens when I get distracted from my kids by immersing myself in a gadget. They feel like you are ripping off a part of yourself from them. Emotionally, children experience this very difficult, the consequences can manifest themselves within two to three days.

Deloitte conducted research and released scary data.

• More than 40% of surveyed users check their phones within five minutes after waking up.
• During the day, users check their smartphones 47 to 82 times.
• More than 30% of users check their devices five minutes before bed.
• About 50% of those surveyed check their smartphones at night.

Thus, the priorities in life today are air, water, food and smartphones.

In 2013, Apple proudly announced that 7.4 trillion push notifications were sent through the company's servers. And today this trend has not changed.

There is a way out: disable push notifications. You have nothing to lose: now you are allowing advertising to be a part of your life. Round the clock. It's time to give up on this.

Initially, push notifications were designed for the convenience of smartphone owners. When BlackBerry launched email notifications in 2003, users were overjoyed. They no longer need to constantly check their inbox in order not to miss important messages.

But push notifications turned out to be the real dream of marketers. It is difficult to distinguish messages from applications from SMS or e-mail. And so you still have to watch what has come.

To be fair, I must say that the developers responsible for this mess were trying to cope with the flow of notifications. For example, the Apple Watch was originally conceived as a way to reduce the number of messages using filters and adaptive vibrations. But instead, the smartwatch has turned the wrist into another vibrating surface.

Only after years of torture, Apple allowed users to turn off virtually all notifications.

Recently this process has been simplified at Google. In the new version of Android, the company plans to give users even more control over notifications.

In an ideal world, you would only ask Outlook to notify you about emails from your boss or partner. Configure receiving messages exclusively during business hours. Facebook could figure out who you really care about and filter the information it sends out accordingly.

But in each case, this would lead to a decrease in the number of push notifications. Which is great for you, but bad for companies trying to steal your attention. You can turn off notifications you don't need (provided you figure out how to do this). But the company will come up with new ways to get you.

Neither Android nor iOS offers an easy way to turn off notifications. In both cases, you need to dive deep into the settings, then go to the app. It's tricky, but worth it. Turn off notifications in all social, shopping, sports apps.

Leave the most important and necessary things: SMS, phone calls, your favorite messenger, mail.

Turning off notifications does not mean that you stop using the apps you like. It only gives you back control. You only use your smartphone when you feel like it. And not when Avito announces another "bargain purchase". You can view the Twitter feed whenever you want. Not because someone liked your recording.

Try it and you might be happier.