Photo by theyshane on Unsplash

I didn’t pay too much attention to screen time. I was aware that my phone use was substantial, but I didn’t consider it as a big issue. I used it to message, watch videos, learn, check Social Media and read news, as well as listen to music. Working out, taking care of pets, driving and driving around, cooking, eating, aimless shopping—there were some of these things which seemed normal, or useful, and I never did think about how much I was spending at the computer.

After tracking my screentime, I had thought that there had to be a mistake. This was 13 hours, which seemed impossible. This was over half of the day. When i look into the details, I could see the exact place the time had passed. I had been on social media, videos and messages, and just going down a lot of different websites for a long time.

I was surprised and was not happy with me at all after seeing that number. It got me thinking about the amount of my day that I was spending online and the amount of time I was spending unconsciously.

Photo by theyshane on Unsplash

So I challenged myself to keep a log of how much time I spend on my computer and screen for a week. I didn’t want to give up my cell device completely, as that wouldn’t have been feasible. I use it for talking, going to college, going on navigation, being entertained, etc. and many other things I have to do. Rather, I wanted to be more conscious of my habits and know how and why my screen time was so high.

                      Photo By  gettyimages on Unspalsh

I began to see that I had a phone on hand and used it for the first two or three days that I had no particular reason to have it. I open one app, close it, and go right back to another app. At times, I went back to the same app just minutes later without a significant change going on.

I also went so far as to refuse to sleep with my cellphone at night. Typically, before I went to bed at night, my cell phone was my last thought, and my first thought in the morning. I would tell myself that I was only going to look at one message, but I would spend much longer – and longer – scrolling.

This gave me the chance to string my phone up on a table outside my bed for seven days. This week, I decided to hang my phone on a table out of bed. As usually I was surprised by this small change. 

The mornings were different as well. Rather than do so immediately, I had a couple of quiet moments to wake up properly. I was not always conscientious about this rule, but in the days that I was, I myself felt better.

The changes I found most beneficial were to keep my phone out of my bed, set up customizable notifications to turn off screen notifications during meal times, and limit watching screens during meals. This was also good, but easy to overlook, given the presence of app limits. Other activities were implemented instead of scrolling, also working as they provided me with a meaningful way to spend my time

I still have work to do to develop my screen habits. I’m still caught off guard when I have to start up apps, particularly when bored or tired.

This was just the beginning of my journey to tracking screen time, not just to decrease a number. What it really was was a matter of comprehending what attention I could give. Spending 13 hours on my phone in a single day made me realize how easily time can slip away.

But the most important thing I learned is that, as of yet, I’m not going to give up my phone. I just need to put it to better use. Anything that brings me more of a sense of presence, or focus, or control of my day makes a difference: even a small difference.

This short video captures one of those moments for me. It’s just a simple clip of me enjoying the day without any screen time. Nothing special or fancy just a calm and peaceful moment that reminded me it’s okay to slow down and enjoy the present.