Graham Dugoni was sick of seeing smartphones everywhere when he lived in San Francisco in 2014, so he decided to create device-free spaces for people who wanted a digital break.
The result is YONDR, a physical way to disconnect at concerts, schools, and private events. If a touring musician decides to use it, for instance, the audience are told ahead of time that when they arrive, they’ll drop their phones into a small case that locks when it’s closed. The audience keep that case with them but can only access their phones when they go to a particular area away from the crowd. When they leave, the cases are unlocked.
“A lot of what we hear is that the show is just better,” Dugoni says. Some people report that, except being anxious for a while, the experience proved rewarding. “People walk out saying it’s unbelievable not to see a single smartphone out. There’s more energy, and it makes everything more noticeable.”
YONDR’s presence suggests that many people have become overly attached to their phones and shows the importance of finding solutions.
Research links smartphone overuse to a wide range of physical and mental (心理的) health problems, including tiredness, depression and anxiety. It is also connected with shorter sleep time, as well as reduced quality of sleep. Plus, smartphone addiction can occupy too much of your time and attention, leaving less to spend on healthier activities.
One of the best ways to disconnect from your phone is to get some physical distance from it. “Let’s say you have a little workstation at home - try to keep your phone behind you on the shelf,” advises Olson, a researcher at McGill University. Much of our phone use is mindless, so “putting up some ltte barriers (障碍), like keeping it behind you and face down, can be effective.” Keeping your phone in another room while you sleep is another particularly helpful way, he adds.
8. What do we know about YONDR?
A.It made people feel disconnected. |
B.It was created to stop phone using. |
C.It was helpful for taking a break from phone use. |
D.It led to inconvenience for concert ticket holders. |
9. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?
A.The effects of overusing smartphones. |
B.The solution to mental health problems. |
C.The reasons for phone-related problems. |
D.The commonness of people using phones. |
10. What does Olson suggest people do?
A.Put the phone on the worktable. |
B.Turn off the phone while sleeping. |
C.Make it hard to reach for the phone. |
D.Surround the phone with small barriers. |