Technology Takes Over

Technology has become such a consuming part of our daily lives, for me it’s usually the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do at night. As soon as I wake up I check my phone for messages, emails, and the Weather Network, but also scrolling on Instagram and TikTok. I spend so much time staring at my phone doomscrolling on days I am not busy. I use it in my downtime on my busy days because it feels “relaxing”. However, spending all this time staring at a screen is exhausting. According to the screen time on my phone, I spent most of my time on TikTok and Snapchat. I wish I could say this is surprising but I am honestly not surprised. In addition to the apps on my phone that I use daily, I also watch usually 1 or 2 episodes of a show either on Netflix or Disney Plus almost every day. Most of the websites and apps I am using are not school or work-related but are for leisure and social interaction.

I also think it’s worth mentioning, that this changes when I am in peak school year. During the normal school year, I take 4 or 5 classes, swim competitively, and work, which doesn’t leave me as much time to waste on my phone. During these months I am on my computer much more doing readings, writing papers, answering discussion forums, checking upcoming assignments and doing more purposeful tasks. It is just in my downtime or the slow periods that I find myself over-using leisure apps. Instead, I use apps like Canva to create aesthetic assignments, Apple Calendar and reminders to help me stay organized and scheduled throughout the week and remind me what needs to be completed. During these days I use screen time limits on my phone to restrict the amount of time I can spend scrolling on TikTok and Instagram which works super well for me.

My phone is a constant distraction for me. If it is near me I want to be on it. Whether that is looking for songs to play, scrolling on TikTok and Instagram, checking my email, looking at my family and friends locations, or even just opening and closing all my apps if it is in sight it is almost impossible for me to not think about it and be on it. I have attached a picture of my screen time from last week – please remember school just ended and the weather wasn’t very nice HAHA!

I use TikTok, Instagram, Netflix, and YouTube as a way to distract myself, sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally however they all play a major factor in my procrastination. As previously mentioned, I find that setting time limits on my phone really helps me avoid certain apps which helps me stay on task and not waste as much time on my phone. I have also created DoNot Disturb settings so it is on during my busy parts of the day and I can’t see the notifications of who posted, or texted or what the sale emails I get. It helps me forget about all the reasons I want to be on my phone. I have also learnt how to leave my phone away from me while I am supposed to be working, during school I will leave it in my bag, or if I am studying I will go put it on the charger and sit at my desk away from where it is charging and that helps me forget about it. Just like children with toys – out of sight out of mind. All these simple strategies have helped me create habits that force a better balance of purposeful vs leisurely use of my phone. It helps me feel productive and stay on task. Now I have to work on how to stay off it and find other activities on the days I have nothing to do.

Onto something un-tech-related! Until next time!