Too Online? Probably. But I’m Managing.

Technology is a major part of my daily routine, for better and for worse. Whether helping me juggle my classes, job, parenting, or just giving me a much-needed escape, tech is always within reach. Some days it feels like my best friend, and other days, like my worst enemy.

Every morning kicks off with Alexa. Before anything else, my partner and I ask her for the weather so we know how to dress our daughter for the day. It’s become a little ritual that helps set the tone (and avoid last-minute wardrobe battles). She’s basically our personal weather assistant at this point. I also use Alexa to set reminders around the house, whether it’s for starting dinner, switching laundry, or just taking a study break. Little things like that actually help more than I expected.

The apps I use the most are TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat. They’re mostly for fun, unwinding, or chatting with friends, but they can also eat up a lot of time. For school, I stick to UR Courses for coursework and Canva for presentations or projects for the most part; not as exciting, but they get the job done.

To stay organized, I use TimeTree, a shared calendar app my partner and I swear by. We use it to keep track of everything, work shifts, assignment due dates, when I have classes, appointments, birthdays, literally anything. It helps my partner and I stay on the same page without having to constantly ask, “What’s going on this week again?” TimeTree has been a life saver many times for me, I struggle with my ADHD and the shared calendar helps me as I forget my partners plans easily.

I get distracted very easily, thanks to my ADHD. TikTok is my biggest black hole. I open it for “just a minute,” and suddenly an hour’s gone. I do take medication that helps with my focus. I’ve tried productivity strategies before, but honestly, I just do my best to be aware of when I’m drifting and try to pull myself back. It’s a challenge I’m still learning to manage.

I won’t sugarcoat it, my screen time is high. Between my phone, PS5, laptop, and the TV, I’m probably on screens over 6 hours a day. The TV is usually on when we eat meals together, which is something I know we should probably cut back on, but it’s part of our daily rhythm right now. Sometimes it’s background noise, other times it’s how we unwind together when my partner gets home from work. We do not let our 2 year old daughter watch more than two episodes a day of Bluey, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse or lately Spiderman because she should not be using technology this early, but sometimes we need a break and she loves Bluey and Spiderman.

Finding a healthy balance with tech is something I’m working on. I’ve started setting small boundaries, like leaving my phone in another room when I need to focus or putting it down when I’m with my daughter. It’s far from perfect, but it’s a start, and I’m okay with progress over perfection.