SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:
There are just a few days left to come up with resolutions for the new year, like, what do you want to do better for yourself or maybe for others? How about resolving to avoid reaching for your phone first thing in the morning?
BRAD ZICHERMAN: It's so much easier said than done.
MCCAMMON: Don't I know it? Brad Zicherman is a psychiatrist at Stanford who treats children and adolescents.
ZICHERMAN: I honestly find that working with teens with problematic screen use can be more challenging than working at times with teens who have severe opioid use disorders.
MCCAMMON: Now, the American Psychiatric Association acknowledges that smartphones are the constant companions for many people. The group considers compulsive or out-of-control use of technology an area of concern. Zicherman says he also worries about screen dependency.
ZICHERMAN: If you are using it to the point where you have to wake up and the first thing habitually that you find yourself doing is reflexively going to your phone. To me, that is a sign that you have actually developed a potential addiction to your phone.
MCCAMMON: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends making a family media plan that concentrates on the quality of screen time. And Zicherman says start with getting your phone away from your bed.
ZICHERMAN: If your phone is not in your room, you're going to sleep better, and then also, when you wake up in the morning, it's not going to be right next to you. And you're not going to have that temptation to actually reach your phone first thing in the morning.
MCCAMMON: He says trying to break the habit first thing in the morning is akin to a strategy psychiatrists use to help smokers quit.
ZICHERMAN: Figuring out ways to delay that first cigarette, I think screen use is similar in that if you were able to figure out ways to delay the time that you first check your phone in the morning, I think, ultimately, you're probably going to end up checking it less throughout the day, actually.
MCCAMMON: OK, it sounds challenging, but I'm up for it, and I'm going to tell my editors that if they can't reach me when there's breaking news, it's 'cause I'm trying to break this phone addiction.
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