Kids logging 9 hours on screens? Let’s find easy ways to reduce that.
Simple ways to live a better digital life
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Bad habits are the last thing you want to bring with you into the new year. Brush them off your legs so you can set yourself up for success. One way to do that is by cleaning up your digital life.
There are a few ways to get the job done. You can clear out your computer and phone’s cache — or even take a literal brush around your gadgets to polish them up. Tap or click here to get five essential tech cleanups for your inbox, network and gadgets.
Those are solid strategies, but not all change requires a game plan. You can improve your digital life with a few general changes, like upgrading to more convenient chargers or avoiding traffic tickets through helpful apps. Here are easy and effective ways to make the most out of tech throughout the year.
1. Evaluate your screen time
Spending too much time on your phone can be bad for your eyes and your well-being. If you spend six hours or more in front of a screen, you’re at a higher risk for depression, one 2017 study found. That’s why you should limit your screen time each day.
The first way to do this is to check your screen time analytics. Your smartphone keeps track of how much time you spend staring at your screen, as well as which apps take up the most time. Here’s how to find these resources.
On an Android:
- Head to your Settings menu.
- Select Digital Wellbeing & parental controls.
- Tap Show your data to see your activity.
On an iPhone:
- Head to Settings.
- Select Screen Time.
- Go to See All Activity.
This shows a graph of your activity, from daily average time spent on your phone to your most popular apps. It even tells you how many times you picked up your device. Best of all, it lets you set time limits for apps and even schedule time away from the screen.
You’ll find many built-in apps designed to help you detach from the screen. Work Profile helps you turn off your work apps, Bedtime helps you unwind and Focus mode cuts out the constant notifications that draw you back to your phone throughout the day.
🪂 Fortnite is back on the App Store: After five years, you can finally download it again on your iPhone or iPad. It was pulled when Epic tried to skip Apple’s payment system. But now, devs can link to outside payment options. And yes, it might be a good time to keep track of your kid’s screen time.
About 80%
The amount of time teen drivers are actually watching the road. The rest? Spent on their phones. Most of that screen time isn’t for directions. It’s music, texting and social media. Terrifying when you realize that looking down for 5 seconds at 55 mph is like driving a football field with your eyes shut.
🔒 Lock your computer instantly: Leaving your desk for a few minutes? On Windows, press Windows key + L to lock your screen without closing anything. On Mac, press Control + Command + Q. It’s a good habit to get into and much faster than waiting for screen time-out to kick in.
📵 Virginia limits kids’ screen time: A new law will ban anyone under 16 from using social media for more than one hour a day. Apps will verify age, and parents can adjust if their kids get more time. Once they hit the limit, the app is supposed to block access … though it’s unclear how that’ll work.
📵 This will be on the test: Do your kids have Androids? School Time on Google Family Link keeps them focused by turning off notifications and limiting apps. Select your child, tap the Screen time (three bars) > Schedules > School time. You can set breaks for lunch, recess or vacations, too.
6 hours
Per day with family. That’s part of a scientific formula for the perfect day (paywall link). You should also spend two hours with friends, two hours exercising and one hour eating and drinking. Work? Keep it under six hours, and screen time under one. It might not be realistic, but hey, life’s supposed to be about balance, right?
1 hour
Of screen time before bed can cut your sleep by 24 minutes and increase your risk of insomnia by 59%. And no, a blue light filter won’t save you. Bright light of any kind still messes with your body’s sleep signals and tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime. My advice? Wind down with something chill like music or an audiobook.
💻 Kids having tech tantrums? You’re not alone. A 12-week study points to three winning strategies: 1.) Tell kids how much screen time they have in minutes, 2.) Involve kids in activities inspired by their favorite shows, and 3.) Let kids decide on the duration of their screen time. Been there, done that. Good luck!
This is important: Global myopia rates have tripled since 1990, increasing the risk of cataracts, glaucoma, and blindness (paywall link). The culprit? Too much screen time. Reminder: Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds to protect your eyes. I like puns about eyes, the cornea the better.
40.3% of all TV use
In June went towards streaming. I’m surprised it’s not higher. Streaming platforms beat cable for the largest share of our TV screen time. The biggest contributor? Nope, not Netflix. It was YouTube, with almost 10% of our TV time.
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