The Phone Fix: How To Transform Your Smartphone Habits

By Dr Faye Begeti

12.00 JOD

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ISBN: 9781803285573

Publisher: Apollo

Binding: Paperback

Number of Pages: 320

Publication Date: 06-Feb-25

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What is really happening in your brain when you use your phone, and how to harness it.

We pick up our phones on average 80 times a day, and approximately a quarter of our waking hours are spent in front of a screen. We self-interrupt our work and social lives, forgo sleep, procrastinate important tasks and opt for digital distraction when we’re bored or feel uncomfortable. Worst-case scenario, we’re told phone use is melting our brains, creating a mental health epidemic and machines are taking over the world.

But how much of this is true and what can we do about it?

NHS neurology doctor and neuroscientist Faye Begeti explains the science behind why we have formed so many fixed and negative habits around our devices. She reflects on both deliberate choices and automatic behaviours, whilst also challenging myths around digital ‘addiction’, the harmfulness of blue light and how dopamine functions in the brain.

Rather than recommending a quick-fix digital diet or abstinence – unviable for most people and pointless given the way our brain works – The Phone Fix offers a practical guide, based on neuroscientific techniques, on building supportive digital habits. Begeti shows that technology is not inherently bad or frightening and that by better understanding what is happening in our brains, we can replenish our willpower and improve our focus, forming a healthier relationship with our phones – and therefore the people around us.

Dr Faye Begeti is a practising neurology doctor and neuroscientist at Oxford University Hospitals. She completed her medical degree and PhD at the University of Cambridge, and has since continued her research into neurodegenerative diseases alongside seeing her neurology patients. Her Instagram account @the_brain_doctor was started to share her knowledge more widely and has since amassed a community of over 143K followers. She lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two young daughters.

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What is really happening in your brain when you use your phone, and how to harness it. We pick up our phones on average 80 times a day, and approximately a quarter of our waking hours are spent in front of a screen. We self-interrupt our work and social lives, forgo sleep, procrastinate important tasks and opt for digital distraction when we're bored or feel uncomfortable. Worst-case scenario, we're told phone use is melting our brains, creating a mental health epidemic and machines are taking over the world. But how much of this is true and what can we do about it? NHS neurology doctor and neuroscientist Faye Begeti explains the science behind why we have formed so many fixed and negative habits around our devices. She reflects on both deliberate choices and automatic behaviours, whilst also challenging myths around digital 'addiction', the harmfulness of blue light and how dopamine functions in the brain. Rather than recommending a quick-fix digital diet or abstinence – unviable for most people and pointless given the way our brain works – The Phone Fix offers a practical guide, based on neuroscientific techniques, on building supportive digital habits. Begeti shows that technology is not inherently bad or frightening and that by better understanding what is happening in our brains, we can replenish our willpower and improve our focus, forming a healthier relationship with our phones – and therefore the people around us.