As I mentioned in my last blog post about technology, my usage is pretty limited and basic. My everyday leisure tech usage mostly consists of social media apps such as Instagram, tiktok and Snapchat. I like to watch Netflix too even in the background when I am doing things around my house. That eats up my screen time a lot. Lately the show I have had on the most is Gilmore Girls so I can get into the fall spirit! Other than that my technology relating to leisure is pretty limited as I don’t usually gravitate to video games. The devices I use daily are my iPhone, ipad and MacBook. I also use my AirPods and Apple Watch decently often too.
For school I use the same devices I use on a daily basis, just different programs. One that I use pretty regularly for either note taking or essay writing is google docs. I used that in highschool and decided to continue with it because it is what I knew. Another note taking app I recommend that I use on my iPad is Good Notes. I find it super helpful because it takes your handwriting and transforms it into a nice font so your notes are very organized and easy to read. There’s other things about the app that I like as well such as the organization features like folders, as well as customization options. For my own personal organization, I use the app Notion. It is a daily planner that is completely customizable and very user friendly. It has helped me organize my schedule and know what I need to do for each class. My favourite thing about the app is the calendar view which sets a really good visual of upcoming tasks.
This digital age is full of distractions and I fall victim to them every so often. The biggest one I find personally is doom scrolling on tiktok. I feel like once the app is open, it’s hard to stop for some reason and then time has gone by that I could have been doing something more productive. I have noticed that taking the app off of my Home Screen has helped me not click on it so often. When I am doing a project that must get done, I like to leave my phone on the opposite side of the room which also helps.
I would say that my relationship with technology is pretty healthy. I feel as though it is pretty equal between school work and just free time. To make sure this relationship stays healthy, I set timers for myself to limit doom scrolling. I also like to take breaks and go on walks without any technology, sometimes even music. I find it is peaceful and gives my eyes and brain a rest, even when I’ve been doing just school work. I’d like to keep up these healthy habits, so feel free to comment any suggestions you may have that have helped you!
Hi Mackenna, I also like having something going on in the background for noise either when I am working or just puttering around the house. I think by the sounds of it, many people are using their tech for school and leisure and the most popular apps are TikTok and Facebook. This apps can sure be addicting and I find myself a lot of the time scrolling for no good reason. Like you mention scrolling on TikTok has been such a huge distraction and I think this is the case for many, it is such a hard habit to break! Thanks for sharing and take care!