According to a survey carried out by Uswitch in 2022, the average Brit spends around five hours per day on one of their devices, whether this is a PC, laptop, or smartphone.
Obviously, smartphones remain a dominant driver of screentime in the digital age, particularly as these devices continue their evolution from simple communication tools to entertainment hubs that can be used to access information and stream movies or content.
However, excessive screentime can cause or exacerbate issues such as migraines, encouraging you to lead an increasingly isolated existence.
So, here are some practical ways to minimise this as part of a more balanced lifestyle.
Set Limits
Let’s start with the basics; as the process of setting screentime limits can be highly effective and mirrors the technique used by parents to stop their children from spending too long on their electronic devices.
Interestingly, many smartphones have in-built options to help you limit screentime, especially across specific apps and integrated tools. By imposing such caps on your most widely used apps and smartphone features, you can automatically reduce the amount of screentime you record each day without too much effort.
As an adult, however, this will require commitment and discipline, so you may want to focus on gradually reducing screen time over a dedicated period- you may even notice unexpected benefits such as fewer headaches and that your contact lenses don’t dry out as quickly.
Track Time
On a similar note, you may also want to spend a period monitoring the time spent on your electronic devices and tracking your activities to identify patterns and any noticeable increases.
This can be a precursor to making more direct action, such as introducing app usage caps or imposing bespoke limits at different times of the day (in accordance with your peak levels of usage).
It’s certainly easy to let a five-minute scroll turn into an hour-long web surf, so tracking your activity objectively and in real-time can offer a real insight into your screentime.
Be Sure to Leave Your Tech Behind at Times
Are you enjoying a richly deserved day off and looking to take a long and relaxing walk with your family? In this case, there’s arguably no need to take your smartphone, enabling you to take a break from the screen without actively missing the device.
Even if you want to have a device close by in case of an emergency, you can turn off your mobile data to prevent you from scrolling and searching online.
When in the home, you could also commit to putting your phone in a bedside draw before you settle down to sleep, or remove tablets from areas of the house where they’re most widely used.
These represent sure-fire ways of minimising screen time and capping usage at times when you’re usually most active.