Even if the Do Not Disturb switch is on, you Receive Every new notification, but your phone doesn’t ping, buzz or bleep to let you know about it. It’s a trendy but divisive pivot away from the usual norm. A groundbreaking fancam celebrating Do Not Disturb mode has racked up millions of views on TikTok, with a viral video calling users of the feature rude.
For a week, I proudly joined the growing tribe of Do Not Disturb maximalists, whose notifications are turned off 24/7. My experience as part of the DnD crew was excellent, although it was a bit annoying for everyone who tried to contact me.
Before we begin, I reached out to some people who leave their phones on Do Not Disturb mode all the time, to better understand their motivations and learn what it’s like to live a life free of constant hassles. Not surprisingly, some calls went straight to voicemail.
A few of them picked up, and during these conversations, I learned that the practice of going all-DnD all the time has a different effect on each user. Some true believers feel that fully adopting Do Not Disturb has significantly improved their smartphone usage by reducing screentime, while others still see a lot of phone-scrolling hours, on their own terms. While influences vary, the motivations are often based on a core theme: the desire to set boundaries around availability.
The first time a friend of mine switched his phone on Do Not Disturb and left it on there all day, I was shocked. How forbidden! Breaking the social contract that demands constant texting and group chats to stay connected to other humans. But, if anything, I was mainly filled with jealousy. He had successfully crushed the bee that was buzzing in his pocket.
Versions of Do Not Disturb mode have been available to owners of both iOS and Android phones for over a decade. Still, software updates in recent years have made the setting more accessible to a broader range of people who want to avoid the buzz.
Claire Maczkowski, who works in customer service for a tech company, is new to the Do Not Disturb lifestyle. In January this year, she started putting her phone on do not disturb during Pilates class, sometimes forgetting to turn off the setting after class. That was a turning point for him. “Oh, I really want it,” Meczkowski says. “It’s really nice. I should leave it at that.” Currently, her phone is always on Do Not Disturb unless it automatically switches to sleep mode at night, which is another favorite option of notification blockers who use iPhones.
“I took it further, which is sleep mode. It dims your phone’s lights, and it doesn’t vibrate,” says Oscar. “Well, it offended a lot of people.” Eventually he made an exception for his mom, so incoming messages from her would still make his phone buzz. Nevertheless, Oscar still considers the overall smartphone experience to be “extremely offensive”.
Recent research published in academic journal computers in human behavior Suggests that information coming from social media platforms, in particular, can interfere with cognitive processing “lasting about seven seconds”. Since my smartphone is rarely more than a foot away from my body, these types of small distractions easily add up to each notification. The cumulative effect catches my attention.
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