- Mind Mastery Minutes
- Posts
- How To Reduce Your Screen Time
How To Reduce Your Screen Time
Mind Mastery Minutes - V1.1
Henry Adams
January 29, 2024
Phones are great.
There’s huge value in having a supercomputer in your pocket.
But there’s a reason Steve Jobs didn’t let his kids have an iPhone.
Most people own technology.
And most people are owned by it.
People spend 44% of their waking hours on screens. (Data Reportal)
That’s more than,
2 days every week.
A week in every month.
A hundred days every year.
The average person will waste years of their life consuming things they don’t care about and won’t remember.
2 hours a day equals a month in every year.
So, how do you break free from digital distraction?
It won’t be easy.
Our ancient brains are being exploited by addictive apps.
Some of the smartest people alive are paid to develop apps for one singular purpose:
To supply dopamine to keep you hooked.
The more dopamine that is released, the more you seek out that feeling again.
And…
The more time you spend on them, the more money they make.
It’s the perfect storm.
You might be thinking:
“I enjoy going on my phone so I’m not too fussed.”
“Everyone is on social media.”
“It connects me to friends.”
“It’s entertaining.”
True.
You may feel that way now,
But what about in the future?
When you look back on your life will you feel the same way?
The truth is:
Nobody will look back in the future and wish they spent more time on their phone.
Nobody.
Consider these two thought experiments:
1. Two Lives:
Let’s pretend you could duplicate yourself and live 2 lives in parallel, from today.
One continues your current daily consumption.
The other never touches social media again.
In 5, 10, 30 years.
How much time would you save?
And with that spare time…
Where would the two ‘yous’ end up?
How different would their circumstances be?
2. The Great Creators:
Shakespeare, Mozart, Darwin, Einstein, Da Vinci etc.
If they were born today, would they make the same contributions to humanity?
Would they be able to resist modern life and focus on their work?
Or, any time they got bored…
Would they pull out their phones, get swamped by distraction and never fulfil their potential?
Many young people with the potential for greatness are probably being held back by their devices right now.
Don’t be one of them.
Control your phone, control your focus, control your life.
But how?
2 years ago,
I was not in control of my life.
My screen time was 12+ hours a day between my phone, laptop and PS4.
I felt like shit, but fuck me was I entertained!
It’s now around 2.5 hours (could be lower).
Here’s the secret to how I sliced my screen time and took back control:
Use technology to combat technology.
(click blue links)
You need to design a phone that you are in complete control of, or it will control you.
1. Add a screen time widget:
Don’t hide from it, make it obvious. Compete to lower it each week.
2. Cold Turkey:
Delete social media off your phone. If you really want to go on them, you can go on your laptop.
3. Apps / Software:
Freedom- Blocks selected websites on your computer for a set duration. Brilliant.
One Sec - Delays app from opening for 10 seconds. Gives you a moment to decide if you actually want to use the app, or just found yourself doing it.
Unhooked - Allows you to use YouTube without suggested and recommended videos.
BONUS:
NOTIFICATIONS: Do not disturb (Unselect loved ones if desired). Turn off notifications for EVERY app. (Especially group chats). When you want to go on an app, it should be because you chose to.
SEPARATION: Normalise physical distance between you and your phone. Go on a walk without it. Take a dump without it. Exercise without music.
“When you delete social media, at first you will feel something is missing in your life. When actually you were just missing your life.” - Kieran Drew
“All screen activities linked to less happiness, all non-screen activities linked to more happiness.” - N. Ravikant