WhatsApp addiction and how to win over it without deleting the App

WhatsApp notifications and usage lead to addiction due to the frequency of usage. If you received so many messages and chat so often, you might have just lost control of how to use the app in a way that does not prevent you from leaving a normal life.

Are you thinking of what to do to reduce the nuisance that so many WhatsApp messages generate? and also reduce its control of you?

If yes, then keep reading…

The truth is you can disable your WhatsApp notifications instead of deleting the app and this can be done by altering the default settings of your WhatsApp from the settings of your phone.

When you successfully do this, you can always check the messages by later opening the app. This can help manage the addiction to WhatsApp usage.

 The truth is that you can turn off your WhatsApp notifications without even uninstalling the application.

This requires using third-party applications that restrict certain Apps like Whatsapp on your phone even when your internet is working or active. This prevents you from receiving notifications when messages are sent to you.

One of such Apps in the Google Digital Wellbeing. Google Digital Wellbeing is an app that permits the user to control the notifications from apps. It helps you as a phone user to restrict the use of social media applications that you choose to keep mute while still on the internet.

However, some of the third-party applications may increase your risk of having your security and data compromised. 

WhatsApp is the world’s most preferred app for instant messaging for social and business purposes. The overuse of the app can make you addicted. But you can stay off the app and take a deserved break.

But that is not always easy when you constantly want to be updated on what is going on and to stay connected to friends and love ones.

The buzzing of the notification tones will push you to open the next message involuntarily.

One way to stay off the app for a while is to put your internet off.  You can also silence the WhatsApp notifications. This will ensure the buzz from WhatsApp is muted and nothing grabs your attention.

Once you turn off your internet, for instance, you also lose touch with important emails and Facebook messages on your phone.

When users of the internet overuse it, there is a possibility of increased isolation from peers and society. this can decrease physical socialization and awareness of others and their needs around you. You may develop aggressive and impulsive behaviour as well. Whatsapp addiction is an emerging behavoural addiction that has serious negative implications.

Many mobile phone users have already become addicted to the device and Whatsapp is making the addiction worse because these users virtually leave their lives on their mobile phones. 

Simple rules for dealing with Whatsapp addiction

1. Do not use Whatsapp as your primary means of communicating with those in your social circles, ie. Family, friends, and love ones. You can opt to communicate through text messages or call without the need to always send a message through Whatsapp.

2. Do not have the same notification for WhatsApp, text messages, and calls. Change your Whatsapp notification sound to something different from the calls. Once the tones are different, you can learn to avoid using the phone each time a message is received. This can help deal with the craving for WhatsApp but requires a high level of discipline. This will help you avoid the temptation of opening WhatsApp whenever there’s a new message.

3. Change your Whatsapp status from “Available” to “Busy”

When you begin to see “less” of Whatsapp as you use your phone every day, you will begin to shake it off bit by bit.

4. Disable Whatsapp Background Data by going to Settings -> Data Usage -> select Whatsapp -> and tick “restrict background data”.

5. Tell those who chat with you most of the time on Whatsapp to call on specific days or call them instead of chatting on Whatsapp.

Read: Facebook content monetization for creators

If you are seeking help to minimize the use of the app, help build better social connections off the phone and improve on the deteriorating interpersonal family relations then learn to kill the Whatsapp addiction before it kills you.

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