As someone who has had internet access for around 10 years now, it is safe to say that social media or the internet in general has occupied a good sum of my time. Though I have more reasons to support the opinion that unrestricted internet access for adolescents is more harmful than beneficial, I am not here today to express that I necessarily think that the internet “ruined me.” For example, as I had transitioned from my pre-teens all the way to my late teens to now, the internet has allowed me to broaden my knowledge of music and media, news, issues going on in the world right now, trends, new recipes, and probably anything else that you can think of. However, after 10 years or so of owning some smartphone device, I plague myself to wonder if all of it can just be too overwhelming sometimes?
Of course, my parent’s naivety when it came to things like social media in the 2010s was as strong as the parents of my friends. They didn’t know how bad things really were, and at the time we didn’t either. Today I am a 20 year old who has grown, to put it simply, just tired of it all. As the popularity of TikTok grew, so did my screentime with it. I would find myself going on it first thing in the morning, as well as the last thing I did before I went to bed. Anytime I had a free hour or half hour meant that I had time to scroll aimlessly. TikTok was not the only thing occupying my attention, I’d say Instagram did as well–mostly just for the sense of passive scrolling or looking up the pages of new influencers that I would become temporarily interested in. I would off and on tell myself that I would start restricting my phone use or atleast social media use, if I did not have the courage to temporarily get rid of social media as a whole, but I never did. It wasn’t until this past December, when I had my winter break off from school, that I had come to terms with the fact that I wanted a change.
Living with an anxious personality has affected my day-to-day life in many ways, one of which includes the way that I perceive time. I feel myself constantly worrying about time, whether its past, present, or future; it is something that is always on my mind. I’d say that my anxiety was one major contributing factor to wanting to start restricting my screen time. I was no longer able to sit with the idea of using 8 to 9 hours of my day on my phone. For some of my friends, their screen time was even worse, one reaching up to as much as 13 hours. Imagine, half of your day you are spending on your phone as opposed to remaining physically present. When my friend would admit to me this jarring number she would just follow with something along the lines of “I know I know, it’s bad but I really don’t know what else to do.” In a sense, I understood what she was feeling, and agreed that our phones often can fill a void of boredom that we may have. After understanding this, I knew that my first step was to find things that I could fill this void with.
Though I personally believe that New Year’s Resolutions can be somewhat unconvincing to sustain, I had decided to start implementing my goal to lower my screen time once the new year had begun. Ultimately I knew that my main issue was with TikTok and Instagram; two apps where you are capable of scrolling for almost an infinite amount of time. After a while, it just feels like what I’m watching as I scroll holds smaller and smaller substance and just succumbs to random brain rot. With the constant addition of trends, music, challenges, etc., my brain cannot help but get overwhelmed trying to keep up with it all. So, the first thing that I did to limit my TikTok and Instagram screen time was to refrain from going on the apps first thing after waking up. To me, my morning routine is what sets the mood for the rest of the day. If I start my day by immediately going online, what would stop me from ending the day the same way? Instead, after waking up I would go on my phone to turn off any alarms that I had set, check any text messages, then get out of bed from there. This was easier to do than I had expected, and I noticed an immediate shift in my mood as well. I have also worked on designating certain times when I am allowed to go and scroll on these apps, because my goal was not to eliminate them completely. Usually in the evening is when I think that I’m on my phone the most as classes are done and I am able to take a break from work or any other obligations. Towards the end of my day, I usually go to the gym and gradually restrict my time on my phone once more, using it mostly for listening to music or podcasts. Though there have been some days when I have been on my phone more than others, I am proud of my progress and plan on continuing to do so.
Another way that I have learned to occupy my time differently is by picking up hobbies and/or habits that I have either given up doing or that I have never tried before. For example, I have picked up reading more, and recently had gone shopping for two new books as a way to excite me to keep going. I can definitely say that reading as opposed to scrolling has slowed down time for me, or at least has passed it in a less anxiety-inducing way. When I spend my time reading, I do not feel as bad. If you are not someone who is into reading, that’s okay too! You do not need to necessarily refrain from using electronics all together. Something I have also done is add more movies to my watchlist, which has definitely gotten bigger since I haven’t made time lately to watch TV. Watching a show or movie can pass the time in a relaxed and controlled manner, as it focuses on one specific story/plot, whereas your TikTok feed is likely to fluctuate between tens of hundreds of topics.
Lastly, I have worked on occupying my time through exercise, which I know what you’re thinking, can be a lot sometimes. I was never someone to outspokenly advocate for going to gym, and would always feel belittled by those who did. I feel like there is a common misconception about the gym which is, by going “all your problems can be fixed,” which simply isn’t true. I only began enjoying the gym this past summer of 2023, and have only felt committed and comfortable with it until recently. How the gym works for me is that it helps my mind slow down, any racing or nervous thoughts that I may have are able to dissipate over the time that I begin my workout to the end. However, I am extremely understanding of any reluctance in becoming a so-called “gym girl.” There are other alternatives that you may try! Some being yoga, dance, or even just going on a simple walk. When we are putting our bodies to work, we are putting a pause on everything else.
I am so glad to be able to share a glimpse of my journey so far with lowering my screen time, and I hope that I was able to encourage some of you to give it a try too! Just a reminder though, I still have my off days of bed rot and endless scrolling so do not feel discouraged if you find yourself struggling in the beginning! Progress is not linear, and I know firsthand how hard it is to discipline your brain, especially since we are in a generation with such an emphasis on social media. In regards to where I want to take my journey, I hope to remain consistent with my schedule and who knows, maybe one day I’ll muster up the courage to delete some apps here and there.