Mediums like mobile phones, tablets, and gaming systems can be used to keep us entertained and connected with the world. However, those mediums can become addicting to the point where we feel that we can live without them. In a recent survey conducted, thirty-two percent of people said they were online for 5 to 6 hours, 17 percent of people reported being online for 7 to 8 hours, while 13 percent said they were online 9 or more hours a day.
Social Media companies like Meta and TikTok are working proactively to come up with solutions to mitigate that time that people spend on their devices. In Instagram's newest update, you are able to see how much time you spend on their app, snooze notifications for up to eight hours, and set a timer that will tells you when you’ve spent a certain amount of time using the app.
Recently TikTok introduced digital wellbeing, any TikTok user below the age of 18 will automatically be set to a 60-minute daily screen time limit. If the time limit is reached, you will have to enter a passcode in order to continue watching, requiring them to make an active decision to extend that time. For people under the age of 13, the daily screen time limit will also be set to 60 minutes, however a parent or legal guardian will need to set or enter an existing passcode to enable 30 minutes of additional watch time.
Additionally, too much screen time can affect you or your child's mental health, sleep schedule, increase stress levels, decrease brain function, decrease your posture, and strain your eyes. Do yourself a favor and put your phone away and participate in some activities that don't require you to look at a screen. If you are in need of some inspiration; spend some time in the outdoors, read a book, or spend time with your family / friends.
You can also use your phone / tablet do not disturb settings in order to give yourself some time without any distractions that may come in the form of texts & calls. Be sure to let your family and friends know that you are putting your phone in do not disturb mode, so they don't worry :) Sometimes it's good to turn off your phone and take a breather, enjoy the world! Your phone will be there when you return.