We aspire to empower you with knowledge about Wireless Mobile Device (WMD) dependency, so that you can transform your attitudes and practices and achieve life-technology balance.

What does PHREEDOM mean?

Phreedom is an amalgamation of ‘Freedom from the smartPhone’ [and all other wireless mobile devices (WMDs)]


PHREEDOM: UNGRIP DEVICES GRIP LIFE

Phreedom is an educational initiative founded and led by Dr. Nidhi Gupta.

We recognize that the wireless mobile devices (WMDs) have become deeply intwined into the fabric of our daily lives.

Our goal is to help you analyze your relationship with your WMDs, assess the health of that relationship and suggest ways to heal it, if needed.

Have the phones become smarter and humans dumber? Hard to tell! Therefore, we refer to all smartphones, tablets, laptops and smartwatches as ‘Wireless Mobile Devices’ (WMDs). This is our intentional attempt to put the technology back in its place and stop placing it on a pedestal by calling it ‘smart’.

“ While the phones were wired, we were free. Since the phones became wireless,
we are handcuffed to them.”

Dr. Nidhi Gupta

Dr. Gupta is a Pediatric Endocrinologist.

She believes that it is possible to achieve life-technology balance in this digitalized era.

She has been tracking the phenomenon of Wireless Mobile Device (WMD) addiction since 2013.

She discovered remarkable patterns about how people interact with their devices.

These observations have shaped the foundation of Phreedom.

Discover Life-Technology Balance

It would be illogical to suggest that we live without our wireless mobile devices (WMDs) in the modern age. However, it is important to analyze our relationship with our devices and heal it, if needed.

Through Phreedom, we suggest small changes that might help achieve ‘life-technology balance’ in a variety of settings, such as at home, work and vacation.

Remember, small changes when made repeatedly and consistently, become long-term habits.

And yes, we choose to put ‘life’ before ‘technology’ in ‘Life-Technology Balance’!

“ Balance is finding time for what you need to do and what you want to do.”

Did you pass the Escape-Displace Detector?

ESCAPE

Often, we tend to justify the use of our devices by saying that, “It helps me focus”, “It calms me down”, or “It helps me keep up with life”. Is that true?

In reality, do we use the devices to ‘escape’ from situations that are boring, physically strenuous, mentally and emotionally challenging?

Remember the last time, you were faced with the choice of preparing a presentation vs. scrolling social media; what did you choose?

Did you choose to ‘escape’ from the task at hand? Did you choose to procrastinate the work for ‘just a little bit’ and then never found the ‘mojo’ for that work again?

Did your devices play a role in that?


DISPLACE

With a finite number of discretionary hours per day, many essential activities might be DISPLACED by the device-based sedentary behavior.

Research has shown that excessive screentime ‘displaces’ physical activity, sleep and schoolwork.

Through Phreedom, we help recognize the subconscious ‘Escape-Displace’ attitude and learn ways to transform it to ‘Engage-Replace’.

“The issue is not how much time is spent on the devices, but what else should have happened during that time that the devices facilitated to escape-displace.”

Ready to Engage-Replace?

ENGAGE

The next time you reach for your WMD (wireless mobile device), pause and think, “Am I picking up my WMD because I am trying to ‘ESCAPE-DISPLACE’ a boring task at hand?”

“Am I simply procrastinating?”

If the answer is ‘Yes’, then pause the subconscious response of reaching for the WMD, free yourself of judgement, reward yourself for being mindful of this reflex and ENGAGE actively with the task or person in front of you.

REPLACE

Through Phreedom , we seek to help you REPLACE the essential activities that might have been displaced by the WMDs.

Our connection with the WMDs is strong. Therefore, the approach to disconnect from them needs to be equally resilient and mindful.

“ The issue is not the medium (device) itself, but the content (social media, gaming, shopping, etc.) that we access on the medium.”

Break the Habit-Loop


  • Dopamine is one of the chemicals that is released in the brain in response to a reward-related cue. Every ding or chime from the wireless mobile device (WMD) is a cue for the release of dopamine.
  • Dopamine is addictive and makes us ‘want’ to check again and again.
  • The cue (ding from device) leads to craving (dopamine release) that makes one respond (reach for the device) to find the reward (a new message/social media update).
  • Over time, the ‘satisfaction’ of the reward becomes associated with the ding.
  • Finally, the anticipation of the reward becomes stronger than the reward itself and makes us check the WMD even if there is no ding!
  • The goal of Phreedomis to achieve Life-Technology balance by weakening the ‘habit loop’ of cue ➤ craving ➤ response ➤reward.

“ Technology is meant to work FOR human beings, not the other way around.
Let’s take charge and show them who the boss is!”

What Action Can I Take?

The first step in solving a problem is to realize that it does exist.

Take the self-assessment questionnaires to determine if something needs to change in your relationship with your devices.

Find a wealth of resources to guide your first step towards Life-Technology Balance.

Self-assessment

Take the Test

Break the Habit-Loop

See How

Phreedom at Home

Empower Yourself

How do WMDs affect Health?

Wireless Mobile Devices (WMDs) facilitate the displacement of essential activities in our daily lives. The pull of WMDs and the novelty that they offer are hard to resist!

We learn to procrastinate exercise, sleep and work.

It is challenging to focus.A part of the brain often remains distracted.

There is a perpetual sense of anxiety, unease, something undone and the fear of missing out on something!

Obesity

Read On

Sleep Disorders

Learn More

Behavioral Health

Learn More