My daily tech habits are possibly some of the worst that exist out there. I almost always have a screen on, except when I am sleeping. It could be the TV shows that I watch with my parents or on my own, YouTube videos, playing on my Switch, or working on my computer for hours on end to finish an assignment. Sometimes I have multiple screens going at once. (Truthfully, I may go almost a full day of subbing without a screen depending on whether or not I have to get students to watch videos. I definitely enjoy that time away from schoolwork.)
My Switch Lite and its case. It’s easy to tell what my favourite colour and favourite video game character are.
Most of my online time is spent on school-related websites and apps or Instagram and YouTube. The school ones are obviously used for homework, but I do often watch shows as I complete my homework. I work through the shows that I am less interested in until my favourites come on (Survivor, Big Brother, Traitors, Amazing Race Canada, Hudson & Rex, etc.). When those select shows come on, I will only work through the commercials. The work sometimes is slow going but at least I am getting something done (right?). Instagram and YouTube are primarily used when I take breaks, need entertainment, need music to help me focus on school, or as a way to regulate myself/a form of escapism. Recently, I have been trying to spend less time on Instagram by using my Switch instead. I mean, I paid a lot of money for it so I feel I should be using far more than I have been in recent months.
The methods that I use to keep my schedule (and life) together are mostly on paper or white boards. I need my schedule to be in my face at all times in order for me to remember what I have to get done that week. I have a whiteboard on my wall with sub jobs and school dates on it, a school-only schedule with the same dates by my desk, and a hand-held white board that I use to list all of the next tasks for each class and for my personal life. The only digital system I use is the alarm app on my phone. I have a wake-up alarm, a take my drugs alarm (plus three related reminders a little later), and two alarms that go off before each of my classes. Yes, I need that many reminders some days, and I have found that this system is the only way that I will, most likely, do what I need to do.
My hand-held white board. It’s double-sided which is pretty cool.
Instagram or YouTube tend to decrease my productivity when doing schoolwork, because I will often get sucked in and then it’s suddenly been half an hour. I try my best to limit myself through timed phone breaks, but it does not always out work that way. Sometimes I just ignore the timers, or I just genuinely need to step away from my computer. I have definitely gotten better at recognizing when I need to take a break from schoolwork. However, I tend to turn to my phone or TV as a means of regulating my stress and anxiety which has led to the exceedingly high screen times that I have each day. Truthfully, there is no great way for me to have a healthy relationship with technology right now. School-related things are located online, my primary entertainment is accessed through a screen, and I only have long-distance friends at the moment. The only time that I might be totally unplugged is when I am reading, but I am often too mentally tired to read at night after a long day of work and/or school. Who knows, maybe crocheting can help to reduce my screen time? (Probably not lol.)
Hi Alyssa,
Honestly I relate so much to you with how much I use the computer. I love that you said that it probably won’t help picking up another hobby. Honestly, I think that the truth for me at least is that I will pick up a new hobby that I think will have me use technology less, but then I either drop it so fast, or I will get good enough that I can just do it with the technology on.
Hi Alyssa!
I totally feel you on tech use! I am just like you when it comes to having background noise on when completing work. Often when I am working on homework or doing prep work for teaching I have some sort of show or music on in the background. I find it comforting in a way. (Even as I am writing this I have the Amazing Race Canada playing in the background HAHA) I agree that sometimes that social media will be a distraction, sometimes when I am doing work at home and need a “brain break” I end up going onto TikTok and then a brain break that was supposed to be 5 minutes turns into an hour one which can totally decrease productivity! I like that you’re so self aware and honest about your screen time, you are definitely not alone in this. I find that going for a walk or doing a crossword helps me pull away from my phone a bit when I need to take a break from all the school work! 🙂
Hi Alyssa, I feel pretty similar that my tech habits could defiantly improve and honestly this has been hard for me but I feel like I am on the right track! I know many people that actually sleep with the T.V on so your ahead on that one! I think that with having school online it does make it harder to get away from the screens because we are always having to do something. I think your methods that you use are really effective and I also enjoy and need my schedule to be displayed so that I can see it. I think having a visual schedule can really help and this is something our students can have as well. I also love to have music on in the background or noise of some sort when working because the silence just bothers me too much! I think you are right that it is hard to have a healthy relationship with technology especially with school but the end is near and it will get easier! Take Care!
Hi Alyssa, after reading your blog, i realized that I relate so much with you. I really connected woth you when you mentioned ” I almost always have a screen on, except when I am sleeping”. This extremely true for me as well as there is always a screen on on my home. My dad is retired and he spends a lot of his time watching TV. I also happen to join him as well.