Bryansk told how to cope with stress due to smartphone failures

Failure of the usual mobile services can cause anxiety due to the loss of control over everyday affairs. This was told by Associate Professor of the Institute of Psychology of the RSUPU named after A. I. Herzen Julia Pezhemskaya.

According to the expert, people transfer part of the cognitive load to smartphones: with their help they remember routes, plans and to-do lists. When applications stop working, the usual way to solve everyday tasks is not available. A person begins to doubt whether he will be able to get to the right place in time or fulfill obligations.

The psychologist explained the constant updating of the page by trying to regain a sense of control. FOMO is the fear of missing an important message, news or conversation.

Pezhemskaya advises in such a situation to focus on a specific task. If the chat does not work, you can call, and instead of an electronic card, use the help of passers-by or employees of organizations. In the absence of urgency, it is worth determining the time of the next check of the application. Also, the psychologist recommends discussing in advance with relatives and colleagues whether it is necessary to respond to messages immediately.

If the failure occurred on the street, it is better to stop in a safe place, calm down and determine the next action. As a preparation for such situations, the specialist advises to save important addresses, download offline cards and have an alternative payment method.

At the same time, irritation due to a broken program does not in itself indicate dependence on the Internet. A cause for concern may be loss of control over time, damage to sleep and study, and continued use of the network despite the negative consequences. In adolescents, excessive internet use may be associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, the response to crashes depends not only on age, but also on how important a smartphone plays in everyday life.