HAVE YOU A smartphone?

Chances are, you have one – and if you do, you probably use it a lot.

Ireland is a tech-savvy country, and that has benefited us in many ways. Apps have simplified life, connected us to our friends and loved ones, enabled us to buy products quickly and easily, and put the whole world at our fingertips.

But sometimes, it can feel like your phone is using you.

And that’s where Live A Better Life comes in: Over four weeks, we’re going to help you look at how you use your smartphone, challenge yourself to new ways of using it (and not using it), tackle the main phone tech stressors, and cultivate a sense of positivity around using your phone.

Will you be transformed into a person who no longer needs a smartphone by the end of it? Don’t worry, that’s not the aim – and for most people, it’s certainly not practical.

Instead, it’s about putting you back in control, so you have a better sense of how you deal with your smartphone, and how to go about changing elements you’re unhappy with.

Shutterstock / Natee Meepian Shutterstock / Natee Meepian / Natee Meepian

How it works

Every weekday for the next four weeks, we’ll feature one article on how to Live A Better Life with your phone. There’ll be information, challenges, and even the odd quiz or two for you.

Sign up by email (see below) and each Friday you’ll get an email with the week’s content.

Day One

For the first day of the first week, we’re keeping things simple: All we’re asking you to do is take a quiz on your smartphone use.

Then, you just have to:

• Take note of your result
• See how you feel about it.

If you want, you can write your thoughts down, as a way of reflecting on the process.

But right now, we’re just getting a sense of what that smartphone-you relationship is like.

Take the quiz>

Factbox:

Shutterstock / Adul10 Shutterstock / Adul10 / Adul10

If you find you’re a heavy user of your phone, you’re not alone.

Recent stats show that over half of Irish smartphone users check their devices in the middle of the night.

Deloitte’s research found that the top three nocturnal smartphone activities include:

• Checking the time
• Texting
• Using social networks

In addition, a study from the University of Derby found that smartphones are addictive - and the more you use it, the more addictive the behaviour can be. The average user in this study spent 3.6 hours a day using a device.

Take the quiz by clicking here>