Ignore screen time limit?
Remind me in one minute.
Remind me in 15 minutes.
Ignore limit for today?
Sound familiar? How often do you ignore these recurring screen time limits? We’re all guilty of it. So, let’s talk about screen time.
Why is it so hard to put down our phones?
With technology becoming more advanced and algorithms catering to our every whim, it can be hard to put our devices down. There’s a science behind our obsession with our phones. The brain chemical dopamine has a major impact on our phone addictions. Psychologist Dr. Scott Lyons explains in Forbes magazine that dopamine plays a key role in our behaviours.
“Each interaction with our phones, each notification, releases a hit of dopamine, creating a feedback loop that keeps us coming back for more,” says Lyons. “This cycle can lead to a state of…constantly chasing the next digital high, leaving us feeling unsatisfied and disconnected from the present moment.”
Are we really spending too much time on our phones?
Despite the downsides, we rely heavily on our phones as a means of connection. Online you can connect with friends or family, watch content ranging from comedy to pop culture and even learn something new. At the end of the day, humans are social beings and when life gets tough we turn inwards to our loved ones and community for support. Now, this includes online communities or connecting through a screen, for better or worse.
Setting healthy boundaries is important
While cutting back on screen time is beneficial, it might not always be attainable when most of our everyday tasks require us to engage with our devices. As students, much of our educational content is online. Having everything accessible virtually makes it easy to study or complete assignments off campus or outside of class, but it also contributes to how much time we spend using or staring at our screens.
It’s scary how easy it is to spend minutes or even hours scrolling the time away. I personally used to procrastinate going to bed by scrolling endlessly on Instagram and TikTok and before I realized it was much later than I anticipated, leaving me extra tired but also disappointed in how long I spent scrolling. How many hours of your life have you spent staring at your screen to distract from being present in real life? Some questions to think about are:When was the last time you ate a meal without scrolling or watching something on a device? When was the last time you went to the bathroom without your phone? Is your phone the first thing you look at when you wake up or the last thing you look at before you go to bed?
If you can’t remember a time when you did any of the above without a screen, there are strategies out there to help you cut back.
How can students cut back on their screen time?
1. Use screen time limits! As annoying as they are, they can be useful. Most devices now have screen time limit options in their settings, where you can also find out just how long you spend on your phone in a day. For many, the statistics are alarming.
2. Take breaks! If you’ve been spending a long time in front of a screen, be it for school or for fun, schedule yourself some breaks away from your devices. Set aside a time to move your body or do a different screenless activity like reading a book or crocheting.
3. Avoid using your phone immediately after waking up or right before bed. If you use your phone as an alarm clock, try using a physical clock or a watch that has alarm features. Try placing your phone far away from you. Having our phones on our person or directly in front of us makes it tempting to procrastinate or get distracted by notifications.
4. Replace the time you spend scrolling with something else. Instead of relying on social media to keep in touch or stay connected, make plans with your loved ones! You can also try new activities or start new hobbies. You can find a variety of groups, clubs and societies that meet up regularly both on and off campus by just walking around Dal.
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