i'm embarrassed of my screen time and i'm trying to change
i'm embarrassed of my screen time. so much so that i've developed a strategy to reduce it. but first, some proof that my screen time is obscene:
the worst part isn't the 6h average. it's all the time spent on social media.
i could justify phone usage if i was listening to audiobooks, reading the new york times or using my meditation app, but it's just scrolling. i scroll until i feel rotten. i often find myself feeling like there's something inherently wrong with me, like i'm some sort of disgusting soul destined for all the wrong things--and then i realise it was just too much time on my phone.
so here it goes--these are my 3 never-once-tried-before tactics to implement this week. i'll report back next monday.
1. no phone in the morning
i tend to wake up earlier than i should. i will either attempt to fall back asleep or i will get up and start my day. i can write, journal, meditate, go to the gym, anything!!! except for grabbing my phone and opening instagram.
2. no phone in the evening
when i clock out of work, my phone becomes off limits again. if i have any admin tasks, i can use a laptop or my ipad. evenings are for remembering that there's life outside the grind.
note: i can use my phone during work hours because scrolling through social media is a political act if you're getting paid for it heh
3. i will lock all social media apps during mornings and evenings to avoid temptation.
i have a personality that's a little prone to addiction.
simply telling myself not to use the phone in the morning or the evening won't be enough. i downloaded an app to stop me opening certain apps. the only way of unlocking my phone is to scan a barcode i keep far away from my usual hang out spots (the bed, the sofa).
so here's the dream goal: ~2 hours of screen time per day. i can't go cold turkey because i'm not that ambitious, but i'm hoping i can drop from 6h to ~4h within the next week.
wish me luck, stranger on the internet.