Changing one thing on your iPhone settings can eradicate stress, experts have found.
Many people have their phone in silent or “Do Not Disturb” mode for the purpose of removing any distractions.
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But it can actually be counterproductive and cause more stress, a study published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior showed.
People should rather turn on their phone on hard and use their phone as and when it notifies them is suggested.
For the research, experts collected data on 138 iPhone users.
About 42 percent of them had their phones vibrating, eight percent had their phones on silent, while the rest had their phone out loud, HealthDay reported.
Participants completed a survey to see if they had the “fear of missing out” (FOMO).
FOMO is the anxious feeling people have that they miss things that other people do, and can be exacerbated by browsing social media.
The Screen Time tool on participant’s phones was used to determine how much time they spent on their phone.
Participants who had their phones in silent mode tended to pick up their phones to look for messages more frequently than those who did not.
They also spent most of their time on social media.
People who scored high on FOMO and NtB (should belong) in the quiz were the worst at constantly picking up on their phone and scrolling when it was in silent mode, the researchers said.
The silence of the notices appears to be more “psychologically disturbing” for these participants, findings indicate.
The researchers wrote: “Our findings provide new insights into understanding the relationship between notifications and cell phone use.
“[It shows] especially how the audio and vibration directions of notifications alleviate users’ insecurities and fulfill their information, social and environmental satisfaction. ”
The researchers recommend that those with high FOMO do not disturb their phone on.
This is contrary to advice that has come before – that in order to stop using your phone so much, you need to silence notifications.
But if you are in dozens of Whatsapp groups and the idea that it is constantly pinging too much, try customizing notifications so that you only receive them from close friends and family.
It can also be helpful to set aside time that you will spend on your phone to catch up on what you missed.
This way you can keep a clean head in the times you are offline and focus on the “here and now” – something that is often advised for those struggling with FOMO.
Thea Gallagher, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at NYU Langone Health in New York who was not involved in the study, said: “The data suggest something different if you have FOMO.
“You will actually check your phone even more compulsively because you think you are missing notifications.”