It’s a new day.
In the early morning hours, your phone alarm goes off with a pleasant ping. With sleep hanging heavy over your head, you unlock it without a second thought and check to see who texted you since you fell asleep.
As you read and respond to the messages over a bowl of cereal, you suddenly receive a notification for Instagram. Your fingers glide over the screen with ease, wanting to see who liked your latest post.
Seconds turn into minutes as you peruse the latest goings on of your one thousand and thirty seven closest friends.
Pretty soon, you’re deep into the adorable puppy reels.
Sound familiar?
If so, you are not alone. Trust me. In fact, there are scientific reasons why screens captivate our attention. And no, it’s not just because of the addictive dog videos. The good news is, we can gain control over our screen time habits and be more present with our family and friends.
And it all starts with YOU.
What is most important to you?
Really, what is it? Whether it’s your higher power, family, friends, or any number of things, we all have priorities in our lives.
Based on your current relationship with screens, would you or those you love consider screens to be one of your current top priorities?
The good news: change is always possible.
A wise professor once shared with my class that, for so long, he considered life a tightrope walk: one wrong move and you fall off balance into the abyss. Depressing, right? However, he invited us to consider life as a juggling act instead. A select few of the juggling balls in our act, sometimes even just one, are made of gold. These are our top priorities, the ones we strive to always keep up. These are the priorities that, as we keep them gliding through the air, everything else will fall into place.
Will we sometimes drop a golden ball? Of course. But we keep trying and keep juggling. That is what life is all about.
Consider what your golden priorities are in your life. Are screens currently a golden ball?
And of course, there are other juggling balls that will naturally enter in and out of the act, adding an extra layer of difficulty as we try to maintain the rhythmic cadence of the golden ball. Some will be easily incorporated into the juggling choreography, while others will feel heavy and awkward. Some we will try to juggle for just a moment before we intentionally let go, and others we will be so mesmerized with that we hate to see them drop.
Amidst these competing priorities, how do we manage? Where does screen time fit into our juggling act?
How do screens fit into my life?
This is a question that only you can answer. Based on an article from Reid Health, experts recommend that, outside of work, adults spend no more than two hours every day on a screen (n.d.). If you are currently far above that, start small. Set a goal to do one thing to manage your personal screen time. Your consistency over time will form habits, which will lead to lifestyle changes.
You’ve got this.
Tips to Limit Screen Time
Turn off notifications
One way to cut back on screen time is to turn off your notifications on any and all devices. Notifications are typically designed to come in at random, which catches your attention. Reid Health’s article “How Much Screen Time is Too Much for Adults” adds that once you are on your phone checking whatever popped up, you are much more likely to spend additional time browsing beyond the original notification.
Thus, removing notifications takes away the trigger. Without the trigger, you can choose when you check your phone. Setting an alarm to remind you to check your phone in batches at the time you choose will help you gain control of the constant need to immediately clear that pesky red bubble.
Here is an article on how to receive notifications in batches for both Android and iPhone users.
Tech-free time
Removing phones during specific parts of the day and being truly present is a wonderful way to promote healthy screen time habits.
In an article from Consumer Reports, it is stated that “designating the early morning and evening hours as smartphone-free is particularly important, as phones can impact cortisol and melatonin production, ultimately increasing stress, disrupting sleep, and interfering with your circadian rhythm” (Lindwall, 2024).
Something that has worked well for me is charging my phone outside of my own room each night. By having separation from my phone at night, I am less tempted to check it and start doom scrolling, and instead simply go to sleep. In the morning, I do my best to resist the urge to check it until I have at least done part of my morning routine.
Another way to implement tech-free time is to turn off your devices completely. Seems simple enough, right? According to an article from CNN, turning off your devices during those crucial times when you want to be present including dinner, playtime with the kids, driving, etc. is a surefire way to focus on what matters most (LaMotte, 2017).
Stopping cues
One of the reasons why technology is extremely addictive is the lack of stopping cues. The endless scrolling sucks us right in and spits us out hours later. However, creating our own cues of when to stop looking at technology can greatly help with this issue. As we train our brains to stop using our phones based on cues, we will be able to take back control and add stability to our lives.
For example, while I am doing homework I will place my phone in a different room, set a timer, and work for the designated time. When the timer goes off, I set a break timer where I allow myself to check my phone, get up and stretch, grab a snack, and then repeat it all over again. This has helped me exercise my own self-control and has provided a stop cue for me to get up from my computer and take a break. However, exercise caution with this tip; there is a debate on whether using screen time for rewards (such as when I check my phone as a reward for doing my homework) is helpful or hurtful. Try it out and see what works for you.
Grayscale
The way your screens were designed is to entice you to look at them. One way to stop this is to switch your device from vibrant colors to grayscale. I have personally implemented this tactic, and it is amazing to see how removing the color reduces the desire to pick up my phone; boring is better, in this case.
To change the color settings on your phone, follow the following directions from our friends at Consumer Reports:
On an iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color Filters, and toggle it off.
On a Samsung Galaxy phone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Visibility enhancements > Color correction. Toggle on both “Color correction” and “Grayscale” from the options.
But beware, every single person who you ask to take a photo for you from here on out will be confused as to why the picture they took with your phone is in black and white. Prepare yourself.
Extreme Makeover: Homescreen Edition
Make your screens as functional as possible without all of the bells and whistles. Or, as difficult to use as possible. Either of these tactics is sure to lessen the amount of time you spend on your screen.
One of my screen-conscious friends removed all of the apps from her home screen (yes, you can do that) except for those that are absolutely necessary, changing her smartphone into a dumb phone.
While I, on the other hand, decided to rearrange all of my apps so they are in places I wouldn’t expect them. That way, when that sneaky muscle memory kicks in, I am taken to an app that is completely random, increasing the inconvenience factor tenfold.
Whether you go the practical route or the trick-your-brain route, either of these methods may help you on this journey.
Replace screen time with things you love
This may be sometimes easier said than done, but replacing one habit for another can help fill the void where the empty space would be. In the wise words of Marie Kondo, what kinds of activities spark joy for you?
Take a look at the ideas below and pick something that appeals to you!
- Get up and move
- Rediscover interests and hobbies
- Foster connections
- Connect with a higher power
- Serve others
- Spend time in nature
Feeling inspired yet?
I hope so. And the best part? Changing the way you interact with screens will not only benefit you, but also those around you. Your partner, children, and others in your life will thank you for managing your screen time habits in a healthy way. In fact, they may even start to follow suit. And who knows, you may become the leader of a family screen time revolution.
So, what is one idea you would like to implement into your own life? Pick something, and go from there. You and generations to come will thank you for being more present than ever.
