How to Reduce your Screentime

Ever since the 1950`s, when televisions started to become a ubiquitous feature in UK homes, sitting and staring a screen has almost become a core component of British culture. With the advent of home computers this activity has only increased, and now the smartphone means everyone has a portable cinema, games system, and computer in their pocket.

For many people the first thing they do upon waking is check their phones, browsing social media, watching videos, or reading articles. They will spend as much as a third of their waking time on mobile apps (according to the app monitoring firm App Annie), and for most people screen time rounds off the day in bed, despite the well known fact that it can lead to a reduction in sleep duration and quality.

The amount of screen time has increased dramatically over the last decade, especially that spent on social media sites. In 2012 an adult spent an average of 90 minutes a day on social media - by 2016 this had jumped to 126 minutes, and in 2020 adults were spending an astonishing three hours a day browsing social media sites. In many ways these are somewhat conservative assessments - the Nielson Total Audience Report of 2016 suggested that adults spend more than ten hours a day using screens, a figure that will have very likely have increased during the intervening years.

Very few people could honestly claim they have a good reason to be engaged in such levels of screen time. Just think what you could do with all those hours every day. For most people excessive screentime has simply become a habit - and like all habits it can be broken, a feat the following tips may help you achieve:

1. Count how many times you pick up your phone or tablet

You will probably be shocked (or dismayed) to learn just how many times you reach for your mobile device each day. The average is around 100 - and most of this is pure compulsion, a habit, a need to check for the latest update on facebook, or to watch just one more video on Youtube. There are many apps available that can track your device usage, and you can set yourself aims to lower your number each day.

2. Reduce the number of applications on your device

People have on average 80 apps on their phones - but how many of these are actually useful to them? Carry out a clean sweep of your mobile device by deleting any applications that provide no meaningful benefit to your life. By decluttering your screen you will create a tidier online environment, and you will be more likely to use your phone to perform useful tasks.

3. Stop taking your phone into the bathroom

Yes, that is how addicted we are to our phones - we cant even bear to be without them during our routine ablutions and calls of nature. Make a hard and fast rule: no mobile devices in the bathroom, and you will be well on the way to reducing your screentime.

4. No phones in the bedroom

This will certainly be a harder mandate to follow than the previous one, but adhering to it will offer greater rewards. By banning phone (or computer use) in the bedroom you will make a great step towards improving your quality of sleep. It is well known that all screens emit large quantities blue light, which is from the high energy band of the electromagnetic spectrum. Health experts have cautioned us for years that prolonged exposure to blue light can damage the skin and eyes, while also disrupting the circadian cycle - the sleep cycle that regulates when we fall asleep and wake up.
Banning screen use in the bedroom will help ensure you get a good night`s sleep, while also sparing you from any nocturnal email stresses, and social media dramas when you should be winding down.

5. Switch your phone to grayscale

All up to date iOS and Android devices will allow you to make your phone display everything in shades of grey. By shearing your screen of its iridescence, you will most likely find it less attractive to look at, and so your compulsion to keep checking your email and social media should be reduced.