Industry Insights

Blog, Technology

3 Tips to Keep Your Smartphone From Being a Distraction

by | Friday, April 21st, 2023

Let’s face it, the thought of leaving your house without your phone is a nightmare. We take these devices everywhere; and why not? They are powerful computers, with an amazing amount of integrated software, and a touch screen that fits in most pockets. Unfortunately, these devices are also powerful computers that feature apps that can broadcast extremely distracting content. 

Smartphones as Distractions

It’s not that surprising that smartphones can be productivity killers. The average person checks their phone every 12 minutes. It’s so bad that many mental health professionals cite this as an action that causes a lot of mental health problems. At work, checking your personal device four-to-five times an hour can really stunt your productivity. 

We get it.

There is TikTok and YouTube and Facebook and Instagram to name a few places that not only capture people’s attention, they do so deliberately. They all have built-in notification systems that will check in on them if they don’t actively use those applications. This distraction is created, packaged, and delivered by these apps, and customers everywhere are left holding the bag. 

Smartphones as Productivity Tools

On the other hand, the smartphone allows businesses to have access to their human resources nearly any time during the day (and on their days off) and allow for customer interaction and productivity from wherever they are. Many businesses that started out banning phones in the workplace now depend on them for their mere sustainability. 

The whole thing is a striking paradox.

What Can You Do to Keep Your Phone From Being a Distraction?

If your smartphone is both a distraction and a solid tool for work, you need to treat it like both. Let’s take a look at three things you can do to minimize the negative impact your phone has on your business.

  • Lose the push notifications – All those push notifications stop productivity in its tracks. You can opt out of notifications for every app you download. Doing so can help you maintain focus and cut down on unnecessary distractions. 
  • Use airplane mode – Airplane mode is there for when you get on an airplane, sure, but it can also be a good tool to cut out all the things that can distract you while you are at work. When you need to buckle down, turn on airplane mode and get to work
  • Hide social media apps – If you are someone that gets a lot of messages on your social media, they can be a major hindrance to getting work done. If you hide these apps off of your home screen, you don’t have to worry about seeing them when you open your phone, reducing the inherent need to check every 12 minutes. 

At Compudata, we can help every business rein in their employees smartphone outside usage with mobile device management tools. We can also help businesses build dynamic Wi-Fi networks that can keep smartphones off of business networks if need be. Give us a call to review your options today at 1-855-405-8889. 

A Glimpse Into What Compliance Looks Like for Businesses

Apr 7, 2025 | ,

It’s easy to see all the reasons why you should make data regulations and compliance a priority. After all, you want to ensure you don’t violate the trust and security of your customers, as well as the integrity of your operations. If you make even one mistake, it...

AI Search Isn’t There Yet

Apr 4, 2025 | ,

People do this all the time: if they don’t know an answer, they just make something up that sounds right. It turns out AI has the same bad habit. A Study Put AI Search to the Test, and It Did Not Go Well Researchers at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism (part of...

Remote Work Is Great, but There Are Some Pitfalls

Apr 2, 2025 | ,

Do you have employees working remotely? If you do, the real question is, are you doing everything you can to keep them productive and secure? Remote work is awesome, but it comes with its fair share of risks. Today, we get into how to competently confront them. Remote...

Hiring IT is Hard (Here’s How to Make It Easier)

Mar 28, 2025 | ,

Do you have someone on your staff who can handle most IT-related issues for your business? If not, we’re sure your organization feels it in more ways than one. The issues that come from not having IT help are only made more frustrating when it comes time to find IT...

Let’s Take the Lid Off of CAPTCHA

Mar 21, 2025 | ,

We've officially reached the point where humans have to prove they're, well, human just to access websites. One of the most common ways to do this? CAPTCHA. CAPTCHA stands for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart. It might sound...

Automation Isn’t Always the Best Business Option

Mar 17, 2025 | ,

Automation makes sense from an operations standpoint, and people see this despite the many who advocate for scaling back to save jobs. For every task that can be completed, however, less than half can be automated. When you consider all the tasks that a human might be...

More Reading from Industry Insights:

AI Search Isn’t There Yet

by | Apr 4, 2025 | ,

People do this all the time: if they don’t know an answer, they just make something up that sounds right. It turns out AI has the same bad habit. A Study Put AI Search to the Test, and It Did Not Go Well Researchers at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism (part of...

Hiring IT is Hard (Here’s How to Make It Easier)

by | Mar 28, 2025 | ,

Do you have someone on your staff who can handle most IT-related issues for your business? If not, we’re sure your organization feels it in more ways than one. The issues that come from not having IT help are only made more frustrating when it comes time to find IT...