The average person spends about 7 hours a day on screens surfing the Internet, and this number increases significantly if your job is primarily done in front of a computer, according to the "Digital World Overview 2022" report.
According to the same report, the number of Internet users in the world rose to 4.95 billion at the beginning of 2022, and global social media users reach 4.62 billion users, so you can imagine how much time is wasted globally browsing mobile phones and personal screens.
Why never do without it?
Groov, a website that specializes in remote work environments, says that feeling addicted to your smartphone is normal, due to the fact that smartphone manufacturers have made sure to keep you as engaged as possible and for as long as possible.
So, if you find yourself trying to access your smartphone all the time or feeling nervous when it's out of reach, don't consider it a sign of weakness on your part, smartphone and social media companies spend millions of dollars to reach you and make you come back for more.
However, you can still fix it and take over, especially since overuse of screens and devices causes many of the symptoms we experience over the years, such as eye strain, neck pain, lack of sleep, fatigue, distraction, poor concentration and hand function.
Here are some tips for controlling screen time and getting the benefits that come from having a smartphone without letting it control your life:
Smartphones are a great source of information, communication and even joy so it is not recommended to stay away completely from electronic devices (pixels)
1- Take advantage of your mobile phone
Smartphones are a great source of information, communication and even joy, so it is not recommended to completely stay away from electronic devices, focus on the benefits of your smartphone, write a list of all the ways you benefit from your phone and then try to commit to using it for these things only.
2- Delete the app that drains you the most
Try to identify the app you have become more addicted to in your mobile phone, and then notice how you feel after spending time on it, do you feel energized and relieved or dizzy and drained? If you feel discomfort, delete this app even for just a day and observe what happens to you afterwards.
3- Focus and resist the idea of scrolling
How many times do you find yourself picking up your smartphone for no apparent reason, what usually happens is that you spend one minute doing what you want, and then you hover over another app like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.
Be sure to turn to your phone when you need to call someone or find only specific information, and resist scrolling to another app while you're doing so.
Only turn to your phone when you need to call someone or find specific information (Shutterstock)
4- Keep your smartphone out of sight
"Far from sight is far from thought," they say, so instead of keeping your smartphone in a place you can see, keep it away from you, put it away from your desk until you finish your tasks, research has shown that having your phone near you can harm your performance even if it doesn't ring or be in a power outage.
5- Don't check your phone when you're with others
Unless you are waiting for an important phone call, there is no need to take out your mobile phone when you are with family or friends, do not peep every two minutes because it gives the impression that you do not care about those present.
6- Block smartphones in the bedroom
Smartphones are very harmful in the bedroom, because they emit blue light that suppresses melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone that interferes with the natural sleep-wake cycle.
Even if you're not looking at your phone in bed, just being in the bedroom can be distracting, so it's best to buy an alarm clock and leave your phone out of the room.
7. Set days without a phone
Some suggest that you challenge yourself to spend whole days without using your phone, because if you can and leave it at home once a week it will make you feel that you control it and not him who controls you.
8- Track screen time
Use an app to monitor how much time you spend on your phone, track screen time for a week and the numbers may surprise you and give you extra motivation to reduce its usage.
9- Set a specific screen time
Spending too much time in front of screens causes headaches and fatigue, so it's important to determine for yourself how many hours a day you can browse your mobile phone and stick to it.
Use an app to monitor how much time you spend on your mobile phone (Pixels)
10. Stop allowing digital notifications to appear
Digital notifications are distracting, apps are cleverly designed to make you addicted to following so that all their notifications are small blows of dopamine that create addictive behavior patterns for you, and one of the best ways you can resist being attracted to your phone is to turn off unimportant notifications.
11. Spend time away from screens
Depression and anxiety are one of the results of using screens a lot, so it is important to stay away from your digital world for a while, you can walk outside or read a book, you can also go on a bike tour, and it is also useful to learn a new skill such as knitting, embroidery or playing chess, do anything that takes you away from screens for a while.
12- One screen at a time
Don't watch TV and move to your mobile phone but focus on only one thing, if your phone is on the horizon your brain will think about checking it even if you are not aware of it, if you are watching TV try to keep your phone out of sight or even put it in another room, and this will allow you to focus and enjoy what you watch more.
13- Make screens easier for your eyes
According to The Conversation, overuse of the screen can strain our eyes and affect our eyesight, so don't stare at small screens to do something you can do on a computer with a larger screen, also reduce the blue light on devices, and make sure the volume is acceptable and unobtrusive to your ears.
14- Sit in the right position
Relaxing in front of screens or leaning over the laptop will hurt your neck and back, sit upright, stretch out regularly and exercise more often without your phone.