# In an in-depth interview, Professor Adam Alter shares tips for limiting smartphone use, from his book, "Irresistible"

1 Faculty News April 27, 2017 ![Knowledge at Wharton logo ](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/assets/images/knowledgeatwharton192x144.jpg?itok=L--sWOiV)>

Excerpt from [Knowledge@Wharton](http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/break-smartphone-addiction/?utm_source=kw_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2017-04-27) -- "It sounds so simple. It sounds like all we have to do is just say, 'No, I’m not going to use this. I’m going to put it away for a certain number of hours.' That’s obviously the first thing to try to do. The other thing you can do on smartphones is sort of de-fang them. You can make them a little less potent. Take off all the sounds that tell you that there’s a new email. Remove push notifications. Make sure that the phone isn’t telling you when to pick it up, that you’re deciding it’s time for me to pick it up."

[Read more](http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/break-smartphone-addiction/?utm_source=kw_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2017-04-27)