As someone who spent a large part of their adolesence online (largely through a PC), it is only recently that I have stopped to consider my relationship with the internet and digital devices. Nearly every facet of my daily life is either enabled or completely reliant on the internet. My job would not exist without the internet, and the same goes for my longstanding pasttime of playing video games. In the morning I use Google Maps on my phone to check bus times for my commute, and when I nestle into bed I will ocassionally watch a show or YouTube video until I fall asleep. Even the weekly recreational volleyball leauge I play in is organized throgh a mobile app.
Suffice to say the internet and smartphones are a significant part of my life, and I was fine with it (or so I thought).
On an otherwise unremarkable day half a year ago, my brother shared an update that he had limited his daily phone screen time to 2 hours. In a vacuum 2 hours sounds like a lot, but I came to sobering realization that 2 hours was half the time I spent on TikTok on some days. Perhaps it was long overdue, but I was finally facing my excessive screen time, and I didn't like what I saw in the reflection.
Even so, social media in its modern form is a hell of an adddiction and I was caught in its throes. To much shame I didn't do anything to remedy this until a month ago.
I was taking the elevator in my apartment down to the street and I took my phone out of my pocket, an action committed to muscle memory. This particular time one clear thought coursed through my consciousness: What am I hoping to accomplish by checking my phone? Most likely I was going to refresh my Reddit feed only to see the same top posts.
Thanks to that spontaneous thought I sprung into action. I started by setting a 30 minute time limit for Reddit. A few days later 30 minute limits on YouTube and Instagram were enacted - these surprised me by how quickly I burned through them. It was certainly uncomfortable adjusting to this change to be honest, but I've stuck with it since.
Considerable progress has been made since the days of doomscrolling TikTok for hours each day. My next goal is to avoid unncessary phone use when I start and end my day. While there is (always) more that can be done, I'm content with the trajectory I'm on.
In my quest to reduce the time spent on my phone I have come to learn other methods as well. My coworker does not have the Instagram app installed and only uses it in the mobile browser (worse user experience and increased friction). Dumb phones are a recent trend where you forgo your smartphone for a phone with limited capabilities - this could be your decade old flip phone or a custom launcher with access to essential apps only.
Thinking back, I simply had to break the habit of checking my phone whenever I had a spare moment. It is a slippery slope from when the screen is unlocked and avoiding that is a good first step. The effects have been great. I find that my mind wanders organically, separate and unaffected by an algorithm, and I have started daydreaming again. I catch more of the sunset through the windows of the bus as it coasts through the street. My mind is back in control and is no longer hijacked all the time.
