Many of us are already familiar with the term “Doom Scrolling.” In case you’re uninformed, doom scrolling is the act of exposing yourself to copious amounts of unhealthy screen time. It can eat away at your mental and physical wellbeing. I’m not immune to this myself, having reached a daily phone usage time of up to 5 hours on average. Screen time can also negatively affect your sleep. Blue light—which is emitted through electronics—resembles sunlight to some degree, which encourages your brain to stay awake. According to   www.sleepfoundation.org, better sleep can improve your mood, reduce stress and eliminate fatigue throughout the day. Reducing your screen time may be essential to improving your quality of life. To do that you may want to consider adopting one of the following practices. 

Pick Up a New Hobby

Activities such as gardening, exercise, and reading are significantly healthier alternatives to screen use. Despite this, finding a new hobby can prove to be challenging. If you’re having trouble finding a hobby, SMCC has a variety of clubs and activities for you to try out. You can find information on SMCC’s clubs at www.smccme.edu/student-life/clubs-activities. 

Document Your Screen Use

Many newer phones have pre-installed software that tracks your screen time. Even older phones have access to apps that can provide these services; two you could consider are Opal or Focus Keeper. These apps can also provide information regarding what apps are consuming most of your time, allowing you to act upon reduction. Sometimes keeping tabs on your screen use can help cut back on the amount of hours you’re investing. 

Download a Parental Controls App

This one may be a bit extreme, however it can also be the most effective. Parental control functions allow you to lock certain apps or your phone altogether after a set threshold of time, or during certain time frames, quite literally restricting your access to your device. You can ask a friend or family member to set a password only they know, then set your preferred times of reduction based upon your goals. 

Electronics are becoming more of a necessity each and every day, yet with that, it remains essential to find time to rest your mind. Electronics, like phones, flood your brain with all sorts of stimulation that can become truly exhausting. Finding a balance between on and off screen time is an essential skill everyone must come to learn as the world continues to evolve into this new modern era.