If this paradox is part of your daily life, discover what it says about you, according to experts. Do you regularly put your phone on silent mode? You think you are doing the right thing and giving yourself a bit of freedom. Yet, you find yourself checking every minute to see if a notification, an SMS, or a voice message has arrived. This behavior seems contradictory, but it is linked to a very common psychological mechanism: silencing the sound and notifications does not necessarily eliminate the anticipation. Experts tell us that the notification is not necessarily the problem. It is a signal that indicates information is waiting for us. In silent mode, this signal disappears, but we cannot help but wonder whether a contact or information has arrived. The phone on silent then becomes a source of uncertainty. Each check temporarily reduces this uncertainty, but this relief can reinforce the habit of checking again. Research associates the intolerance of uncertainty with problematic smartphone use: some people regularly seek information to calm an unease or obtain a confirmation. The role of unpredictable reward is also relevant. The American psychologist Burrhus Frederic Skinner, in his work on the role of rewards, studied behaviors rewarded in an unpredictable manner, noting that these could become particularly persistent. With a phone, each check may bring an important or pleasant message, or, on the contrary, bring nothing at all. It is the "tyranny of checking" that this common habit reveals. This quest for an uncertain reward sustains the anticipation. It is the same general principle as that of a game of chance: the absence of a result does not eliminate the behavior, because the next attempt could be rewarding. Constantly checking messages is also and mainly the reflection of a very marked need to stay connected. A study published in 2022 in Computers in Human Behavior showed that putting a phone on silent mode does not necessarily lead to checking it less. On the contrary, the participants studied tended to check their phone and messages more often when they heard neither a ring nor a vibration. This phenomenon is particularly marked in people presenting a high level of FoMO. "FOMO, fear of missing out, is a persistent anxiety about the idea that others are living rewarding experiences to which we do not participate, accompanied by an intense desire to stay continuously connected to their activities," explain Andrew Przybylski and his colleagues in their 2013 study, "Motivational, Emotional, and Behavioral Correlates of Fear of Missing Out." This mechanism can explain why some people check their phone even after disabling notifications: they no longer react to a sound signal, but try to reduce the uncertainty of not knowing what is happening. This phenomenon does not necessarily mean that one is dependent or anxious. It can simply reflect a high sensitivity to social relationships, a great availability towards others, and a need for control. However, when this checking becomes difficult to control, it can maintain a form of permanent vigilance that weakens. Many people feel trapped by their smartphone and it is mainly this feeling that leads them to put their phone on silent mode. To get rid of this feeling, one can consider a new strategy regarding their phone. A recent study titled Batching smartphone notifications can improve well-being explored the benefits of grouping notifications on attention and well-being. The researchers particularly observed the effect of a notification system grouped into three specific times per day. The goal was to reduce the unpredictable interruptions of the phone. After a 14-day field experiment, the participants who received their notifications in groups declared themselves happier and less stressed. They also noticed tangible effects on their attention. Grouping notifications would therefore transform a permanent expectation into predictable consultation moments and could ensure a more serene daily life.