Are You Spending Too Much Time on Your Phone?

Smartphones have changed the way we live our very lives. They’re alarm clock, timer, flashlight, calculator, game system, portable computer and, of course, phone, for the modern human. However, many people feel as though they may be spending too much time on their smartphones. When is it time to make a change?

Too Much Time on the Smartphone

Ignoring Family

We’ve all been hanging out with friends or family and then noticed that no one was talking to anyone. Everyone was just scrolling through their social media, or reading an article, or texting. If you find you’re missing out on quality time with loved ones, make an effort to keep your phone in your pocket when hanging out.

It’s easy to get sucked into your phone. Consider silencing notifications from social media apps, and even just leaving your phone off or on silent. In an emergency, people can reach you. Otherwise, why stay glued to the phone all day? You’ve got a life to live right in front of you.

Wasting Time

You know that slurping sound that Facebook makes when it siphons your free time? The feeling of the minutes whiling away as you scroll, infinitely, down the page makes your stomach sink. Stop doing it. There’s nothing new or exciting or interesting happening on your Facebook feed, your Twitter feed or your Instagram feed.

These apps are designed to harvest your data and then sell it to ad agencies for a lot of money. That’s it. They’re mindless, they’re not keeping you “up-to-date” or “informed,” and they’ve been shown to have a negative effect on mental health. Just stop scrolling.

Mental Health

Yes, you read that right. Social media is linked to making people feel more insecure, more depressed and less fulfilled in their own lives. When you’re constantly exposed to clickbait media, fake news articles and manufactured outrage, it becomes grating. Why subject yourself to such a toxic mix of badly curated media?

Social media can be great for keeping up with friends and current events. Seeing new pictures of family, updates on vacations and news blurbs are all great. However, aside from these highlights, there’s nothing to be gained by scrolling down the infinite feed forever. You’re just subjecting yourself to drivel for no reason.

How to Quit

Compulsively checking one’s phone is addicting. Consider getting a smartwatch, or a normal wristwatch. This gives you something to check for the time without pulling out your phone to suck up your hours. Another option is getting into a hobby that is engrossing and doesn’t leave time to constantly check your social media.

In an extreme case, if you feel like you’re spending too much time on your phone and just can’t stop, take drastic measures. Uninstall your social media apps. Turn off your cellular data. Heck, just turn your phone off. You’ve got a life to live, so live it.