It probably flashes when a notification pops up. You could probably set it up so it doesn't timeout though.
Man it's kind of sad to see how intensely addicted we are to our phones.
See, I think Apple is leading the way on getting us away from that.
Right now I'm in my living room, using my iPad. My iPhone is in my room on my desk. I get my iMessages and email and am fine with that.
When iOS 8 comes out, I'll be able to answer calls, so it will keep me even further away from my phone.
But in general, I have stopped immediately grabbing my phone whenever I get a notification, unless it's a text message. It also stays in my pocket when I'm sitting at the table with other people.
And the other day I forced my brother to put his away. I told him that "You're only 12, nothing your friends are texting you about is so important that you have to stop whatever you're doing and respond to it."
The majority of us can fix this urge. It's wanting to stop to begin with that is the hardest first step to make.