DANIELLA BIANCHI
OCTOBER 6th, 2021
How to Lower Your Screen Time
These days it’s rare to find a moment when we’re not using our technology - where avoiding our screens is almost impossible.
It’s amazing how well we’ve been able to integrate technology into our lives and how smartphones have become such an essential every day device. We use them to track our fitness, use the apps for learning, connect ourselves with others, scroll social media, create content and well pretty much everything. The average Aussie spends about 5.5 hours on their phone every day (about 33% of their waking hours). This equates to about 17 years of your life staring at a screen. This is a crazy high number. Is it really that healthy for us to be spending this much time on our devices ? Well I believe in everything in moderation.
Researchers in America have found that extended use of mobile devices, particularly social media scrolling, has been linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression. Swedish researchers have found that prolonged periods of its use have led to decreased levels of confidence and self-esteem. Not to mention, phone use indicates greater boredom and overall worse mood. Now for me and I think I speak for everyone; those are not ideal changes that I want occurring in my life. It is so interesting that these helpful tools could have such negative effects as well. It is for this reason that we should be wary of how long we are using our technology and specifically what we are using it for.
For about two years now I have been tracking how long I use my mobile device. Thanks to Apple, their embedded system of “screen time” tracks how long I spend on my phone - I appreciate this Sunday update. Over these two years I have made sure that my screen time has remained under two hours every day. It has been a specific goal of mine to cut the time I spend on social media platforms. Now don’t get me wrong, messaging and calling friends using Messenger and WhatsApp is good but scrolling through Instagram feeds or Facebook pages are not a productive use of my time. I know I am not alone in the fact that we could be using those extra hours (yes hours not minutes… don’t fool yourself) much more efficiently or even just in a more enjoyable way. So how do we escape these addictive traps? It’s one thing to say that we want to change it and it’s another thing to do it. Here are some simple ways that you can use to help you lower your screen time:
It’s amazing how well we’ve been able to integrate technology into our lives and how smartphones have become such an essential every day device. We use them to track our fitness, use the apps for learning, connect ourselves with others, scroll social media, create content and well pretty much everything. The average Aussie spends about 5.5 hours on their phone every day (about 33% of their waking hours). This equates to about 17 years of your life staring at a screen. This is a crazy high number. Is it really that healthy for us to be spending this much time on our devices ? Well I believe in everything in moderation.
Here’s the go
on how to reduce pressure on our mental and physical health by setting healthy boundaries with our technology usage.
Researchers in America have found that extended use of mobile devices, particularly social media scrolling, has been linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression. Swedish researchers have found that prolonged periods of its use have led to decreased levels of confidence and self-esteem. Not to mention, phone use indicates greater boredom and overall worse mood. Now for me and I think I speak for everyone; those are not ideal changes that I want occurring in my life. It is so interesting that these helpful tools could have such negative effects as well. It is for this reason that we should be wary of how long we are using our technology and specifically what we are using it for.
For about two years now I have been tracking how long I use my mobile device. Thanks to Apple, their embedded system of “screen time” tracks how long I spend on my phone - I appreciate this Sunday update. Over these two years I have made sure that my screen time has remained under two hours every day. It has been a specific goal of mine to cut the time I spend on social media platforms. Now don’t get me wrong, messaging and calling friends using Messenger and WhatsApp is good but scrolling through Instagram feeds or Facebook pages are not a productive use of my time. I know I am not alone in the fact that we could be using those extra hours (yes hours not minutes… don’t fool yourself) much more efficiently or even just in a more enjoyable way. So how do we escape these addictive traps? It’s one thing to say that we want to change it and it’s another thing to do it. Here are some simple ways that you can use to help you lower your screen time:
- Utilise embedded phone software The software already apart of your devices can limit your screen time. As I have mentioned, providers like Apple have included the ability for their users to choose how long they can spend on their mobile phone or even on specific apps. This is an easy way to keep yourself in check if you are worried about how much time you spend on your phone. These free and easy to use settings will help you stay on track, help you build momentum and eventually, healthier habits.
- Write a to do list Plan your day and the activities that you want to do. They are fun and keep your day pointed. If you commit yourself to a exercise, dedicate a period to studying/working or schedule time to spend with others, you are more likely to follow through with these plans. The chance of losing track of time scrolling aimlessly is decreased. Let’s be honest, we don’t want to go to bed feeling like we’ve done nothing during the day. So making a commitment to yourself by physically recording what you want to do can be a great motivator.
- Adopt a morning routine It’s important to centre ourselves in the morning before we jump into the crazy chaotic world that is around us and presented in our mobile devices. Try to make sure your morning routine doesn’t include grabbing your phone and using it straight away. Sometimes we can be misled if the first thing we look at is a whole jumble of information from many sources on Instagram or Facebook. It doesn’t put our head in a good place to start our day. For more information read my blog on the power of morning routines.
- Find another activity If you find that you’re scrolling through Facebook aimlessly because you think there’s no other activity to do you are very wrong. Most humans used to live mobile free pre the 90s. That is only about 30 years ago! Yet humans have been living, working, playing and creating for about 300 000 years. Maybe we need to learn a little from our elders on how they spent their free time back in the day. If you are stuck, have a look at my 16 ways to spend your time productively blog.
- Be mindful when using technology If you are watching how much junk food you eat, why shouldn’t you be watching how often you use technology? The short-lived high from eating these types of food, despite being ok sometimes (live a little), shouldn’t be something you regularly indulge in. Apply this same thoughtfulness to your technology use.
- Set a tech-free time in the day I get that we can become very busy throughout the day answering emails from work or writing study notes on your computer. We can find it hard to take regular breaks from technology. A better idea to guarantee that we are not completely glued to our devices is to set a time when we don’t use any technology whether it be an hour or 2. Even disconnecting from technology for a second gives you the opportunity to reassess how you’re going and may give you more energy to continue in a more efficient way when you return to your online work.
- Have a “tech-free room Fill this room with board games, canvases, toy cars, books, or the likes to really add to the idea that tech is not the only way to entertain yourself! You should be swapping activities in and out and regularly adding new books to support a level of excitement in this hub. Here you can allow your brain to appreciate crafting something instead of following link after link.
- Understand that technology is a tool If you are travelling on the train or waiting in a long line, try listening to a podcast or music instead of mindlessly flicking through feeds. I would probably say that the impact of music or an intelligent point made by a podcaster has a greater influence on you compared to what colour dress your friend from primary school is wearing on the weekend. Besides, this means you can still enjoy technology in a positive way without disconnecting completely.
- Use alarms or reminders We often get lost in using our tech and before we know it, our 5 minutes of leisure time scrolling became 3 hours. By using these functions on our phones or watches, we can prompt ourselves to take breaks and to enjoy time away from our devices.
- Delete apps If you really find it hard to step away from particular applications, remove them. This means the temptation to spend excessive hours using them is one step further away. After all, you may find that your obsession with that app doesn’t really give much to your life and well that means you have more opportunity to find things that do.