You read that title right: I am suggesting that you turn your cell phone off when you hit the books. Like, all the way. *gasp*
I am not just suggesting that you turn the ringer off, shove it in your pocket, or even put it into airplane mode. My biggest studying tip is to turn it completely off, and here’s why.
We may not like to admit it, but most of us waste way too much time on our phones. Picture this: you’re busy working on that big term paper due tomorrow, but you remember that your mom was going to text you today to work out plans for coming home this weekend, so you decide to quickly check your phone. As it turns out, she didn’t send you anything, but Brad from high school just requested to follow you on Instagram, and of course you need to look through his photos to make sure you want to follow him back, and before you know it you’ve spent an hour on your phone and you’re looking at the Instagram photos of the dog that belongs to Brad’s ex-girlfriend’s cousin. #relatable
And while wasting your limited study time is one reason you may want to try a small-scale digital detox, your GPA may also thank you for cutting back on the screen time. A Kent State University study found that students who reported higher levels of cell phone use statistically tended to report lower GPAs. Another study found that just having your cell phone in the same room where you’re working reduces your cognitive capacity. And even if chasing that 4.0 isn’t on your radar, you should know that researchers have also found links between cell phone use and higher levels of anxiety as well as lower levels of cardiovascular fitness.
It’s no secret: our phones are addictive. But if they are “off-off,” they can’t be a distraction. They won’t stop you from getting your schoolwork done, and you might even improve your physical and mental health. If you just turn off your volume or keep your device tucked in a backpack pocket, you will always know, at least in the back of your mind, that checking it is just one push of a button away. And unfortunately, that one push can lead to many minutes of distraction. When your phone is all the completely turned off, a “quick check” isn’t quite so easy, so you are probably less likely to do it.
Besides, stepping away from your cell is a great exercise in self-control and focus. Maybe a “phone break” isn’t so bad every once in a while, but sitting down and getting that paper written and done with all at once is an amazing feeling.
When you first start turning off your phone while studying, you will probably find that you sometimes reach for it out of habit, hit the unlock button, and then remember it is off when the screen doesn’t light up. After a while, though, you’ll start to remember, and you’ll reach for it less. Not only will this help you stay focused while you study, you might start noticing that don’t feel like you need it so much throughout the rest of the day. And spending more time in the real-world instead of your digital one isn’t such a bad change.