In that way, push notifications may indeed be the smartphone’s defining feature. They are, if nothing else, a perfect avatar of how frustrating it can be to own one.

Turn off notifications on all the social apps, the shopping apps, the fitness apps, the notifications from Netflix, Spotify, and Kindle. If you want to leave texting, phone calls, and WhatsApp, fine.

Government investigators in the United States have used push notification data to pursue people of interest, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said in a letter Wednesday to the Justice Department, revealing ...