I wake up, I check my phone. I sit down for breakfast and scroll through news whilst eating. I then head off for work, where I spend most of the day in front of a screen. In the evening, I keep checking my phone, do some extra work on my laptop, whilst watching TV.
Sounds familiar?
I don’t think I’m alone in this and, collectively, it’s about time we start questioning this behaviour. Because the excessive screen time is giving us digital eye strain, and sitting in front of a screen for too long can lead to poor circulation and health issues. Technology’s influence on our mental health is another worry as it increases our risk for anxiety, depression and addiction. And our sleep is affected if we use screens before bedtime as the light tricks our brain into thinking that it’s still daytime and that we’re not ready for bed. It’s therefore recommended that we stop watching TV or use our phones an hour or two before we go to bed to allow our brain some rest before falling asleep.
From a conscious consumption perspective we should also question what our screen time does to our consumption habits. Our phones are constantly selling us stuff with most sites and apps now being funded through ads, social media is increasingly used as a marketplace and our inbox quickly fills up with campaign deals and product offers. For those of us who are trying to consumer less, these messages of sales, offers, and things we should buy are probably not going to help.
Can we stop or at least limit our screen time?
As today’s screen time is so consuming we need to make an active choice and action to decrease it. Quitting or decreasing social media use could be a start. Author Jaron Lanier argues in his book ‘Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now’ that social media is bad for us. It’s bad because we’re a user but not a customer, it turns us into assholes, it ruins politics, and it leads to us losing our free will.
To evaluate our usage and what it does to us we can question things like whether something enriches or adds value to our lives. For something more specific, like the accounts we follow, we can question whether an account makes us happy or inspires or motivates us. If not, then we should delete the app or unfollow the account.
The endless scrolling through social media is just one aspect of our screen time though. The amount of time we spend online, in comparison to the time spent on ‘real life’ things like talking to people or being out in nature, is for many, worrying and we should keep a holistic view of our screen usage.
Digital detoxing
Taking weekends off social media, not using our phone for a day, or at least leaving it on a shelf somewhere in a remote corner of our flat/house, are healthy ways to start getting into a habit of decreased screen time. We should instead replace it with activities we enjoy and relaxing time off so that we ultimately treasure this unplugged time to the extent where we want to unplug more often.
Screen free activities like reading newspapers and books, doing a puzzle, playing cards or board games, and sitting down for dinner with loved ones where phones are removed from the room. Taking the time to really relax, spending time with ourselves, taking time to find out what we enjoy and appreciate what we have. And spending time outside, for the sake of our physical and mental health.
There’s an increasing amount of evidence stating that improved life satisfaction comes to those with a stronger connection to nature. Shetland doctors have recently introduced walks and spending time in nature as something they can prescribe to their patients, because of benefits like reduced blood pressure, reduced anxiety and increased happiness. This can also be seen in the Japanese health trend of ‘Shinrin Yoku‘, which means ‘forest bathing’. It can be described as a mindful walk through a forest that activates all senses whilst also having a healing influence on us.
Ultimately, one could argue that it comes down to minimalism, slow living and self care. Because how can you be mindful and free of distraction when news alerts and tweets are taking up so much of your brain space? Mental clutter is hard to get rid of and it doesn’t quite work the same way as decluttering physical clutter. But it can be done. Through dedication and commitment, to activities that don’t involve our screens. Like meditation or spending time in nature to clear our senses and give us time to unplug and unwind.
I’m terribly bad at putting screens away but it’s a goal I’m committed to achieve. What I need is activities, especially at home, that force me to replace screens with things like books and newspapers, or more creative activities where I can use my hands. I would love to get your tips on how to reduce screen time and to hear what activities you’ve found to be good replacements so please do share!