We all know that too much screen time and social media is not great for us for many reasons; it uses up our time and our attention and triggers comparison and FOMO.
Recently, I’ve been reading and listening to a few podcasts about reducing screen time and discovered another solid reason to cut back on scrolling. Our brains were never equipped with this constant bombardment of information and, well, doom. It really triggers our primitive ‘fight or flight’ response - so no wonder we can feel anxious after a few hours of checking our phones.
I’ve recently installed an app to block my social media throughout the day and it’s made a huge difference. Only checking in during the evening gives me back not only time, but also allows me to spend my attention and other resources on work projects, creative pursuits and family. I really feel a bit of a victory of reclaiming my priorities, especially when I get a report that my screen time has gone down.
Don’t get me wrong, the internet allows me to stay in touch with friends and family and is a great resource for learning. However, like all things, screen time needs to be tempered.
If you’re looking to reduce your scrolling, here’s a few tips:
Set Time Limits and Track Usage
Use built-in screen time features on your phone (like Screen Time on iOS or Digital Wellbeing on Android) to set daily time limits for social media apps. Apps like Moment or RescueTime track social media usage and can provide insights into your habits. Reflecting on this can motivate you to reduce unnecessary time on social media.
Leave Your Devices in a Separate Room
If you’re going to make a meal, walk the dog or just catch up on a show, leave your phone in another room to just take a break.
Schedule Social Media-Free Times
Designate certain hours or parts of your day as “social media-free,” like during meals, an hour before bed, or first thing in the morning. Sticking to this schedule can create healthy boundaries.
Set Specific Goals for Use
This is a huge one for me as I need some apps to keep in touch with people and to know what’s going on in my community. But of course, those same apps are also chock full of doom and negativity or can trigger too much comparison for me. So I’ve set my apps up to limit what I can see and whose posts are coming into my feed. My goal is for my feed to be strictly for updates with family and friends (okay and accounts that just make me giggle.)
Replace Social Media with Another Activity
Substitute social media time with another enjoyable activity—reading, exercising, cooking, or spending time with friends or family. It’s hard at first, but the more you replace moments of scrolling with other activities, the easier it becomes.
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