The digital and technological aspect of our lives has us in a tightly wound grip. Just about every individual I know is glued to a screen or let’s face it, relies on a screen throughout most of their day. To be honest, I’m also that person. In my personal life, I have my iPhone, Apple Watch, and Air Pods no more than 5 feet away at all times. It’s interesting to me when I get perspective and think about my daily routine and how I am reaching for technology from the time I hear my alarm in the morning, to watching TikTok or TV before I fall asleep at night. I think we don’t realize how embedded technology is in our lives until we sit down and analyze things.

Regularly, you can find me using the following apps and online platforms when I am surfing the couch and on my phone. These include Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram mostly. When I am working on something productive for work, I am generally utilizing Google Drive, and the other many Google applications such as Docs, Slides, Sheets, etc. I also spend some time answering work and personal emails. I think now that I am working as a contract teacher full time, I have seen a shift in my screen time usage, away from leisurely scrolling and more towards academic productive type tools.

In terms of keeping organized for school and work, I could use some tips and tricks in that department. I always have good intentions of creating a list of when assignments and activities are due but tend to fall off the wagon where that is concerned. At work, by the end of the day, my desk turns into a paper bomb and I am still discovering through trial and error what works for me. However, my teacher Google Drive (yes I have a separate Google drives for personal and work) is strategically organized by subject, grade, assessment, observations, etc. I am always looking to grab a file quickly and print so having my resources organized is vital. Planning my day at work is still something I like to put pen to paper for. I find that I can remember more easily and can recall easier when I physically write down what I am doing in a day. Planboard is something that I am considering and exploring to help keep me organized at work.

Tech-related distractions? Sorry, what? My phone just went off. I find at work I don’t have enough head space to even think about using my phone however, at home, I struggle with tech-related distractions. I find I am more likely to be distracted when I am completing schoolwork. I find that the trifecta of TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook make up most of my distractions. In terms of combatting these distractions, I’ve considered setting up screen usage restrictions, but I feel as if I don’t have enough self-control and would be overriding that immediately. Beyond that, I have not explored anything.

Overall, my screen time or tech usage has significantly changed since taking on a full-time contract job as I feel my brain is so full at the end of the day that I either mindlessly watch TV or go to sleep early. In terms of boundaries and strategies I have used to combat the overuse of screens in my life, well, that’s still a work in progress. For now, I will continue to drown myself in all the digital dimensions.