It’s rare that a day, let alone a couple of hours, goes by that people aren’t interacting with some form of social media. In the 20 years or so that social media has been around, it has quickly become a huge pillar in people’s lives, and it alone consumes dozens if not hundreds of hours of the average person’s attention. Here’s the kicker: if you spend just 2 hours a day on a social media app, like TikTok or Instagram, by the end of the year you will have spent a whole month of your life on the app. That’s 730 hours a year. And for most people, their screen time is much higher than just 2 hours a day.
Time is actually one of the most important things to consider in life, especially for college students who have a very limited supply of it. I often find myself wondering where all my time went, only to realize I spent most of it mindlessly scrolling through social media or some other form of media. Because of this, I began looking to cut down on screen time, especially on social media; I have recently deleted 2 social media apps from my phone, and I am starting on the journey of reducing my use of the social media sites that remain. For most people, it will be literally impossible (not to mention unappealing) to completely disconnect from social media cold turkey. However, if you’re interested in cutting down your screen time even a little bit to make room for other things in life, here are some of the steps I’ve taken to help you get started!
Step 1: Set Your Own Limits
A lot of cutting down on screen time will come down to motivation. If you’re motivated to do something, you’re going to be a lot more successful than if you simply feel resigned about not spending as much time on your phone. One way I’ve found to motivate me to not spend countless hours on my phone is to use my phone’s own features. If you have an iPhone like me, all you have to do is go to your settings and then tap on the ‘screen time’ button. This will show you your overall screen time, and you can see where you’re spending the most time. There are also a lot of other things you can do under this section. Here are a few that I have found helpful:
- App Limits – Here you can set specific time limits for an app or app category. If you want to specifically cut down on the time you spend on TikTok, you can set a specific time limit (say, an hour) for it, after which your phone will remind you it’s time to stop. You can also set time limits on social media apps as a category.
- Downtimes – You can use this to block off chunks of time where only certain apps are available to you. Essentially, you get to pick which apps are and aren’t available during downtime, which will help you prioritize what you spend time on.
- Screen Time Notification – This is definitely the most basic one, but make sure you pay attention when your phone notifies you of your average daily screen time. Also, click on ‘see all activity’ to check out your weekly screen time. Seeing whether the numbers went up or down can be a huge motivation.
Seeing your daily screen time pop up on your phone might put a pit in your stomach, especially if it’s close to the double digits, but it should also motivate you to reach your goals. Don’t plan on cutting down your screen time from 8 hours to 1 hour in the span of a week. Set an achievable goal, whether it’s cutting down your screen time overall or cutting down on a specific social media app, and work the screen time settings around that goal. While it might seem counterintuitive to use your phone to motivate you to stop using your phone, it can definitely be a great reminder to be conscious of the sheer amount of time you are spending on certain areas.
Step 2: Finding Alternatives for Spending Your Time
The next step is learning to spend the time you would have spent on social media in a more productive way. Personally, I used to scroll through social media whenever I was bored or felt like I had nothing better to do with my time. The alternative was laying in bed and staring at the ceiling until my resolve cracked and I started scrolling again. Don’t get me wrong, staring off into space can sometimes be a great way to clear your head, but there are also some great other ways to spend your time. First, you could go outside and touch some grass. That might sound like a joke, but research actually shows that spending time in nature actually helps mental health and reduces stress in general. Find a hobby that you enjoy that involves being outside, whether that’s taking a walk around campus with the girls, hiking the trails around Phoenix, or volunteering to help the cat club care for the stray cats around campus.
You could also get back into old hobbies that you might not have thought you had time for. Start reading YA novels again, make friendship bracelets, or get back into thrifting and upcycling clothing. Also, why not look into starting a new hobby, even if it might be a little daunting? Crocheting might not be a trend on TikTok anymore, but that doesn’t mean it might not be the perfect hobby for you. Find a new, productive way to take up the time you’re no longer spending online.
Step 3: Find contentment
The final step is contentment. What I mean by that is that for most people, myself included, media brings a lot of happiness. Social media and online media in general are outlets that let people connect with each other. From connecting with people who share the same hobbies or obsess over the same TV shows to getting outfit inspiration or advice from others, social media plays a huge role in how we live our day-to-day lives. So, while you’re working on being more mindful with your time, make sure that the time you DO spend on social media is productive and brings you genuine contentment. Your time is one of the most precious things you have as a busy college student, and cultivating good habits when it comes to managing it is going to work wonders.