Thekabarnews.com—The millennial generation is so inundated with calls, messages and app notifications that it is common for them to keep their smartphones on silent all the time. In fact, some even joke that their phone will be silent “until I die.”

Underneath the humor is a larger shift in how people protect their attention and personal space. If you are working, studying, resting or spending time with other people, you can have more control over when and how someone replies to you by muting your phone.

Scientific evidence shows that disabling notifications does not always reduce smartphone use. It may even encourage some people to check even more frequently.

A 2022 study in Computers in Human Behavior analyzed objective screen time data from 138 iPhone users.

When the phones were neither ringing nor vibrating, participants were more likely to pick up and examine their phones, the researchers Mengqi Liao and S. Shyam Sundar found.

This link was particularly strong in those who had high levels of fear of missing out, known as “FoMO,” and a high need to belong.

There was no audible or physical alert, so these users were more uncertain whether they had missed an important message or social update.

The study found an association, but being on silent did not directly cause more phone use. The researchers also examined iPhone users across age groups, so their findings do not prove that only millennials display this behavior.

Studies indicate that the decision is more about social awareness than a rejection of social contact.

A study published in Pervasive and Mobile Computing in 2021 found that people would change their ringer settings so they wouldn’t annoy themselves or the people around them.

Users muted their phones based on work, study, meetings, public spaces, location and social expectations.

Researchers also warned that people can forget to change their ringer back to normal. As a result, such behavior can lead to missed calls or messages. It can also possibly cause discomfort or anxiety, Pervasive and Mobile Computing reported.

More recently revealed evidence adds nuance. A preregistered randomized trial of 205 participants found that disabling notifications for one week did not significantly change checking frequency or screen time. However, participants did see their phone checking as more intentional and less habitual, Media Psychology reported.

These results suggest that notification settings should be tailored to individual needs. The capacity to filter alerts from family, work contacts or essential services can help maintain focus without the worry of missing out on information.

So for many millennials, silent mode is not a rejection of communication nor a digital-detox tool. It’s a broken strategy for dealing with interruptions in an always-on world.