With constant access to a mobile device, many of us struggle with regulating our technology use. This blog post aims to help you understand how your screen time may be impacting you and some measures you can take using Apple’s Screen Time app, including ways to:
- Measure your screen time.
- Measure your progress.
- Helpful prompts.
- Regulate your screen time.
Biting off more than you can chew?
Studies vary widely in their reports of average screen time across different populations. The types of devices included in studies also vary. For example, one study published in the Journal of Paediatrics (2019) reported that adults spend an average of 3 hours and 30 minutes per day on screens, teenagers approximately 7 hours, and children aged 8-12 about 4 hours. In contrast, Nielsen’s Total Audience Report for Q1 2021 indicates that U.S. adults spent an average of over 13 hours per day consuming media across various platforms. This includes time spent on live and time-shifted television, radio, digital media, and more.
Screen time science
The consequences of prolonged screen exposure on mental health are multi-faceted. For example, studies demonstrate a relationship between high social media usage and depression among young adults. Excessive screen time, especially on social media, can also contribute to heightened levels of stress and anxiety due to the constant exposure to information, news, and social comparison (i.e. Primack et al. (2017); World Psychiatry (2020)).
In addition to mental health impacts, frequent digital multitasking can significantly decrease overall productivity. The constant switching between tasks, notifications, and apps fragments our attention, hindering our ability to focus on complex tasks and impeding our overall efficiency.
What’s an apple got to do with it?
The Screen Time app provides insights into how much time users spend on their iPhones and iPads and on specific apps. Some key features include:
Usage Reports:
Weekly reports that display the total amount of time spent on the device and individual apps.
App Limits:
Users can set daily time limits for specific app categories or individual apps.
Downtime: Downtime allows users to schedule specific periods during which only
essential apps (such as phone calls and messages) are accessible.
Content & Privacy Restrictions:
Screen Time also includes settings for content, privacy restrictions, and parental controls.
Notification Summary:
Screen Time provides a notification summary that shows users a daily overview of their app notifications.
Usage History:
Users can view their historical screen time data, allowing them to track trends and identify patterns in their device usage over time.
Family Sharing:
For users who are part of a Family Sharing group, Screen Time can be used to set up and manage parental controls for children’s devices. Parents can view their children’s activity reports and set limits remotely.
A change is gonna come…
Perhaps you have identified that excessive screen time is holding you back from reaching your goals, affecting your relationships, hampering your productivity, or leaving you feeling horrible.
And you want it to change!
Know you are not alone…And take heart that there are some things you can do about it.
Try this exercise
To help you with this exercise, download your free worksheet here:
- Using the Screen Time app, assess the situation by looking at how much time you are spending on the apps and deciding on the ones that are excessive. Write it down.
- Next, I want you to set yourself a goal for the amount of time you want to be spending on screens.
- Here I also want you to think about how you could be spending that time instead.
Write that down. - Next, I want you to take some time to reflect on which values motivate you to change your behaviour regarding screen time. Review my list of 20 personal values and circle the 2 or 3 values that are most important in changing your screen time.
- To help you get into the groove of this activity, let’s take a look at how Peter is approaching changing his habit of excessive scrolling and procrastination on social media:
Peter feels that he is spending too much time scrolling through his feed and has identified that his time would be better spent studying for his bachelor’s degree. He has recently come close to failing a couple of subjects. Peter identifies that responsibility and courage are important values that will help him stay committed during his efforts to change his media use. He firmly believes in taking responsibility for his actions (procrastinating about his studies using social media) and has a strong impulse to make change, recognising that it will not be easy and that he will need to face this challenge with courage and determination. - Once you have completed this exercise and the worksheet, I would recommend you also implement the following:
- Review your progress weekly to check on your screen time values.
- Put the completed worksheet or a brief statement of your goal on a sheet of paper somewhere you will see it each day (i.e. on the fridge).
- Alternatively, write your goal on a card and keep it in your wallet, get yourself a key ring with a symbol or object, or even a phone case that will remind you of one of your values which underpin your commitment to your goal.
As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on this exercise, what you found difficult, and what you got out of it. Send me a message here:
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