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Ding! Buzz! Ping!

Your favorite apps demand a lot of attention. Here’s what you can do about it.

December 4, 2023
By Rebecca Zissou

As You Read, Think About: How can notifications be both helpful and harmful? 

Courtesy of family

Scarlett Mojica

Scarlett Mojica gets dozens of notifications on her phone each day. Ding—there’s a new show on Netflix! Buzz—a friend wants to play a game on Roblox and chat on Discord. Ping—there’s a sale on lip gloss! 

The messages come at all hours of the day. They buzz when Scarlett’s trying to do her homework, during dinner, and even in the middle of the night. 

“It’s annoying,” says the sixth-grader from Los Angeles, California. Sometimes the only way Scarlett can focus is to turn her phone off completely. 

A new study found that many kids are even more inundated with alerts than Scarlett is. An organization called Common Sense Media recently surveyed about 200 kids ages 11 to 17. It found that about half of them get at least 237 notifications each day. Some get close to 5,000! 

All those alerts can not only be distracting but also harm your health. How can you stop them from disrupting your life?

Scarlett Mojica gets dozens of notifications on her phone each day. Ding! There’s a new show on Netflix! Buzz! A friend wants to play a game on Roblox and chat on Discord. Ping! There’s a sale on lip gloss! 

The messages come at all hours of the day. They buzz when Scarlett’s trying to do her homework. They also arrive during dinner. She even gets them in the middle of the night. 

“It’s annoying,” says Scarlett. She’s a sixth-grader from Los Angeles, California. Sometimes the only way Scarlett can focus is to turn her phone off completely. 

A new study found that kids get a lot of phone notifications. Many kids are even more inundated with alerts than Scarlett is. An organization called Common Sense Media recently surveyed about 200 kids. Their ages were 11 to 17. The survey found that about half the kids get at least 237 notifications each day. Some get close to 5,000! 

All those alerts can be distracting. They can also harm your health. How can you stop them from disrupting your life?

Always Online

Shutterstock.com

Scarlett spends about six hours a day on her phone, sometimes more on weekends. A big reason is all the notifications. Each ping encourages her to go back to her device. 

“Most of the time I’m on my phone just to see what notifications I got and who texted,” Scarlett explains.

Of course, some notifications are necessary. Maybe your parents need to text you. Plus, people don’t usually respond to every single alert.

Still, notifications can easily get out of hand. More than two-thirds of kids in the study admit that their phones are hard to put down. Amanda Lenhart helped conduct the study. She says notifications are one way some tech companies keep people hooked on their phones (see sidebar, below). 

Scarlett spends about six hours a day on her phone. Sometimes she spends more time using it on weekends. A big reason is all the notifications. Each ping encourages her to go back to her device. 

“Most of the time I’m on my phone just to see what notifications I got and who texted,” Scarlett explains.

Of course, some notifications are necessary. Maybe your parents need to text you. Plus, people don’t usually respond to every single alert.

Still, notifications can easily get out of hand. More than two-thirds of kids in the study admit that their phones are hard to put down. Amanda Lenhart helped conduct the study. She says notifications are one way some tech companies keep people hooked on their phones (see sidebar, below). 

Health Threat

For many people, not using their phones at all would be impossible. The devices allow us to stay in touch with friends, watch videos, and play games. And who hasn’t used their phone to find the answer to a question? 

But studies show that excessive screen time can take a toll on kids’ health. For example, using your phone right before bed can make it difficult to fall asleep. Not getting enough rest can leave you stressed.

Many kids also report feeling overwhelmed by their phones, especially when they’re flooded with notifications. If that’s the case, experts suggest turning off alerts. 

After trying that for a few days, Scarlett realized something. Not getting interrupted by constant pings helps her feel more in control. 

“I focus more, and I’m more relaxed,” Scarlett explains.

For many people, not using their phones at all would be impossible. The devices allow us to stay in touch with friends. We can also use them to watch videos and play games. And who hasn’t used their phone to find the answer to a question? 

But studies show that excessive screen time can affect kids’ health. For example, using your phone right before bed can make it difficult to fall asleep. Not getting enough rest can leave you stressed.

Many kids also report feeling overwhelmed by their phones. This happens especially when they’re flooded with notifications. If that’s the case, experts suggest turning off alerts. 

After trying that for a few days, Scarlett realized something. Not getting interrupted by constant pings helps her feel more in control. 

“I focus more, and I’m more relaxed,” Scarlett explains.

Setting Limits

Lenhart points out that phone use ramps up as kids become teens. That means more notifications too. So it’s important 

to develop healthy digital habits now. Lenhart suggests that kids talk to their families about setting screen time limits. Or try using the “do not disturb” setting at certain times of day, especially during class. 

It’s all about balance, according to Lenhart. Spend plenty of time offline too. Go outside, read a book, or hang out with friends in person.

“Make sure your phone doesn’t take over your life,” Lenhart says. 

Lenhart points out that phone use increases as kids become teens. That means more notifications too. So it’s important to develop healthy digital habits now. Lenhart suggests that kids talk to their families about setting screen time limits. Or try using the “do not disturb” setting at certain times of day, especially during class. 

It’s all about balance, according to Lenhart. Spend plenty of time offline too. Go outside or read a book. Hang out with friends in person.

“Make sure your phone doesn’t take over your life,” Lenhart says. 

Auto-Play

After you’ve watched one YouTube video or Netflix show, the next one may start automatically. You don’t even have to click “play.” 

After you’ve watched one YouTube video or Netflix show, the next one may start automatically. You don’t even have to click “play.” 

The Fix: Turning off auto-play can help prevent you from losing track of time. It’s usually found in an app’s settings.

The Fix: Turning off auto-play can help prevent you from losing track of time. It’s usually found in an app’s settings.

Endless Scroll 

Reaching the end of the Explore page on Instagram may seem impossible. New content just keeps loading and loading. 

Reaching the end of the Explore page on Instagram may seem impossible. New content just keeps loading and loading. 

The Fix: Set limits for how long you’ll spend on your phone—and stick to them. 

The Fix: Set limits for how long you’ll spend on your phone—and stick to them. 

Content Just For You 

Apps like TikTok and YouTube always seem to know exactly what you like.

Apps like TikTok and YouTube always seem to know exactly what you like.

The Fix: Avoid clicking every video an app suggests. That’ll prevent you from being glued to your screen.

The Fix: Avoid clicking every video an app suggests. That’ll prevent you from being glued to your screen.

1. What is the meaning of the word inundated? What context clues in the article help you understand the word’s meaning?

2. What are the main ideas of the section “Health Threat”?

3. According to the article’s sidebar, what are three ways tech companies try to keep people hooked on their phones?

1. What is the meaning of the word inundated? What context clues in the article help you understand the word’s meaning?

2. What are the main ideas of the section “Health Threat”?

3. According to the article’s sidebar, what are three ways tech companies try to keep people hooked on their phones?

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