When posed with the question ‘how does technology affect your everyday life,’ it made stop, look at my life and reflect on all of the ways technology is used within my every day.
Each Sunday on my phone I get a little notification that pops up giving me my weekly screen time and I am able to go look at what apps I am using the most. When looking at it, it really was not a surprise to me, most of the hours spent on my phone were scrolling TikTok, answering Snapchats or looking through Facebook. None of these apps are really educational, although you can learn some pretty neat things on TikTok. I asked myself the question why do I feel the need to use these apps so much? I could not come up with a good answer other then I like to use them. When I reflect on when I am using these apps it does not feel like I am on them as much as my screen time says. I don’t sit for hours on end on my phone but any chance I get I will pick it up and look at it and all of those short 5 minute breaks add up very fast.
Keeping myself on track doing school and accomplishing tasks is something that I have always struggled with, one thing that really helps me accomplish what I need to is to turn on a podcast or music. By turning on a podcast or music it helps keep me off TikTok because TikTok makes the music or podcast I am listening to disappear. Other than that I can usually find a way to get off task with many different ways.
The one aspect of technology I do not think I could live without is the communication aspect. Being able to call a grandparent that doesn’t live next door or being able to talk to a friend in another country is something that I find truly amazing! It’s even the simple things like being able to text my mom when I am not home to ask what time supper is. Communication is an amazing thing that I feel I take advantage of and would not be able to live without!
I am making a challenge to you my readers. For one week limit screen time to only educational, or mandatory communication with your peers. By doing this let’s see how much more we can get accomplished within a day! Don’t worry, I will do it with you! If you give this a try leave a comment and let me know how it affects your daily life!