Notifications can be great - when used in moderation. If users receive too many, they adapt to ignore them. Paul Ford, an author on Medium, tested out life without notifications and recorded his experience in an article to see if he would benefit.

Ford deleted several social apps and unsubscribed from email lists he’d previously signed up for, putting himself among the near 57% of phone owners that choose to do so. Reasons for this occurrence vary, as some adjust their notifications because certain apps administer too many, while others simply have too many apps that send notifications.

Unfortunately, apps that rely on notifications to keep users focused on them tend to suffer greatly when these notifications are turned off. While they can be irritating to some, garnering minimal response, they largely contribute to the app’s growth and popularity.

One major issue users will encounter if they choose to banish notifications is the absence of important information from the apps they infrequently interact with. If a user’s account for a social app experiences a security problem, for example, they may not find out about it until days or weeks later.

On the plus side, removing notifications can leave users less distracted and increase their productivity. Alternatively, app users can designate a time window in which they check their notifications to keep themselves focused on work.

A permanent solution to notification overload has yet to be found, but companies that offer apps should consider setting a maximum number of alerts per day so as not to deter customers, or integrating a system that allows customers to pick and choose the notifications they receive.

For now, app users will have to develop and execute their own strategies.