Whether it’s the little one in your palm or the bigger one on your desk, most of us spend the lion’s share of the time we’re awake in front of a screen. Research shows that an average American teenager spends more than six hours a day in front of the screen. The screen time is even higher for US adults who spend more than 11 hours per day interacting with media.
Here’s how we can get rid of our addiction to interactive media and reduce our screen time:
1. Create a phone-free zone in your home
Making family mealtimes a phone-free zone is a great way to start limiting the duration of screen time in our lives. Also, designating specific areas in your home, like study room or garden, where no family member could carry their gadgets is another way to decrease your time looking down. You can use that screen-free time to gossip, play games or do a workout.
2. Stop bringing technology to bed with you
One poll finds that 45% of teenagers admit to checking their mobile phones after they have gone to bed. That is despite the fact that study after study has drawn a direct line between insomnia and the blue light emitting from our smartphones. To get rid of this habit, make a mental note to park your gadgets on commercial phone charging station before going to bed.
3. Turn off notifications from social media platforms
Ever thought the role the benign-looking push notifications play in keeping you chained to your smartphone? While some of these notifications cannot be ignored for work-related purposes, most are downright unnecessary. Therefore, to stop them from keeping you glued with your smartphone, turn off notifications from social media platforms in the evening.
4. Set boundaries for after-work hours
Do your colleagues continue to bombard you with notifications even after you’ve left the office? Do you have to spend time messaging in your work’s WhatsApp group after you’re home? If your answer to any of these questions is in the affirmative, then it’s time to set some boundaries.
Tell your colleagues (in a polite way) that you won’t be available after office hours, unless something urgent requires your attention. Then, once you’re sure that the message has been delivered, park your smartphone on the phone charger station.