1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: There's been a clever marketing campaign from two degrees. This week, 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: the talco has released the results of a study it 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: commissioned into the impact mobile phones are having on our 4 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,960 Speaker 1: mental health, and it's not good. While most talcos like 5 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: to concentrate on keeping us connected, two degrees has taken 6 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,599 Speaker 1: a slightly different approach with this one, acknowledging the elephant 7 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:18,840 Speaker 1: in the room by talking honestly and openly about the 8 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: damaged phones can do. It's almost like they care, which 9 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: is quite refreshing. I probably sound a little bit skeptical, 10 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: but I'm less fussed about a smart approach to promote 11 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: a brand than the more important point that is absolutely 12 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: that it's absolutely crazy that we're letting our phones negatively 13 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 1: impact our lives. It simply doesn't need to be this way. 14 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: One of the things the survey looked at was the 15 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: role of that notifications play in adults daily lives, and 16 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: what they discovered was fifty percent of KIW has received 17 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: too many notifications, thirty seven percent fel overwhelmed, panicked, or anxious, 18 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,640 Speaker 1: thirty percent struggle to concentrate due to the notifications. Forty 19 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: six of gen Z respondents say they receive farty notifications. 20 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: Forty percent find it difficult to concentrate, and the biggest 21 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,839 Speaker 1: culprit's a social media It's sixty five percent an email, 22 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: It's sixty percent told you it wasn't great news. But 23 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: as concerning as these figures are, the crazy thing about 24 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: it is that this is on us. We can control 25 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: our notifications. We can turn them off or silence them. 26 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: We can take control of apps by doing things like 27 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: deleting and restoring them throughout the week so they're not 28 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: constantly available. And if you don't know how to do it, 29 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: you do what I do when you find a younger 30 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: person who's smarter than you to do it for you. 31 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,479 Speaker 1: We can come to terms with never having an empty 32 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: inbox and not feel the pressure to try. We can 33 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: make rules about scrolling through emails after work. We can 34 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 1: just put the phone down. It's interesting to understand how 35 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 1: the brain works in response to notifications. According to Catherine Burkitt, 36 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: who is a neuroscience and digital wellbeing expert who's working 37 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: along two Degrees on this project, notifications from phones trigger 38 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: the dopamine, making it highly addictive. She says, our obsession 39 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: with our phones are physically altering our brain, damaging our relationships, 40 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: draining our energy, and reducing our overall well being. I 41 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: get it, it's hard to make a change, but I'm 42 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: absolutely certain that in ten to twenty years we will 43 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: look back and wonder what the hell we were thinking 44 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: with the endless content apps, notification likes, and swipes. We 45 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,600 Speaker 1: can't keep blaming the tech companies. We know what they're 46 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: in it for. We can keep blaming the tech. A 47 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,240 Speaker 1: lot of tech is really cool and helpful. At some 48 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 1: point we have to step up and take responsibility for 49 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: how we use it. So thanks two degrees for the reminder. 50 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 1: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 51 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: to News Talk Set B from five am weekdays, or 52 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.