Nowadays you see people on their phone walking down the street, at work, and even when they’re in social settings with other people. Recently, I have been thinking a lot about how all this screen time and attention to social media affects us in the long run. I know I don’t appreciate when I’m talking to a friend about something serious and they are scrolling through their phone and I’m pretty sure my friends don’t like it when I do the same. While many people (including myself) love using their phones, computers and other digital devices for everything, maintaining how much can you spend on these devices can be good not only for your health but also your relationships.
Here are five ways to maintain your media usage:
- Try to stay off your social media when you are with your friends or in social places (unless you all are snapchatting how much fun you’re having together)
- When you wake up in the morning don’t automatically reach for your phone (except for snoozing your alarm clock.) Do some stretches and have some quiet time before you begin your hectic day.
- Even though binge watching Netflix sometimes the best thing to look forward to, limit how many episodes of your favorite new show you may be watching every day.
- Picking up a new hobby or becoming more involved can also help regulate how much time you’re spending on your phone. If you’re too busy, you won’t have time to finish that new show in one sitting or spend hours scrolling through Twitter.
- Lastly, try deleting social media apps off of your phone and only using them when you are on the computer even if it’s just a couple times a week (I’ve tried it it’s actually not too bad)
Media is so prevalent in our lives nowadays that it’s important to realize there’s much more you can do if you limit how much screen time, even if it’s just once a week. You’ll be surprised how much you don’t miss it.