• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

Meet a 71-year-old who retired as a radiologist and professor, and now runs a banana-skewer business: ‘I never want to retire. Why would you do that?’

3

Hilton received 12,000 Gen Z applications for just 72 internship spots—its CHRO says AI has made the hospitality gigs more competitive

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

Meet a 71-year-old who retired as a radiologist and professor, and now runs a banana-skewer business: ‘I never want to retire. Why would you do that?’

3

Hilton received 12,000 Gen Z applications for just 72 internship spots—its CHRO says AI has made the hospitality gigs more competitive
HealthBrainstorm Health

How to Make Your Smartphone a Tool—and Not a Temptation

Erika Fry
By
Erika Fry
Erika Fry
Down Arrow Button Icon
Erika Fry
By
Erika Fry
Erika Fry
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 5, 2019, 3:21 PM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Be wary of the disruptive downside to smartphones. Science journalist Catherine Price learned that lesson from her newborn.

The author of How to Break Up With Your Phone was inspired to write the book after a stark moment of realization while she held her baby and stared at her phone, browsing eBay for antique doorknobs. Price was startled into reality: She was giving her infant “still face”—the subject of a famous experiment in child development—while the baby was trying to bond.

Speaking Wednesday at Fortune’s Brainstorm Health conference in San Diego, Price said people have to be mindful in defining their relationship with their phones. The devices should be “tools, not temptations,” she said.

While the duration and intensity of each person’s phone use is different, she recommends wearing a watch or setting an alarm to guard against getting sucked into an “Instagram spiral” or other unfulfilling phone use. “Willpower will get you nowhere when it comes to habit change,” Price said.

Diesel Peltz, meanwhile, founded Twenty, an app that is being used—largely on college campuses—to facilitate in-person meetups. He started the company to get young people off their devices, after noticing that people of his generation were seeing friends in real life far less often than in the past. His platform focuses only on present and future meetups—there’s no posting about last night’s party (to which you weren’t invited). It’s an effort, he said, to reduce the negative feelings arising from social comparisons.

For more coverage of Fortune’s Brainstorm Health conference, click here. For news delivered daily to your inbox, subscribe to Fortune’s Brainstorm Health Daily newsletter.

About the Author
Erika Fry
By Erika Fry
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Health


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Health


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.