NoFiltr Teens Advice Column - Mental Health Awareness Month

Check out this advice column on managing your screen time.

My screen time is out of control, and honestly, I feel like it’s starting to cut into my real life. I can’t resist scrolling on social media whether it’s as soon as I wake up or in between classes– how can I actually cut my screen time down?
Chronically Online

Dear Chronically Online,

It sounds like you’re struggling with finding a balance, but I’m so glad you’re reflecting on how your time online makes you feel and reaching out for advice. First off, you’re definitely not alone. One US study found 83% of teens use a phone daily, and an addiction rate of 37%, with an average of 7-9 hours spent on screen time. As the world’s most tech-savvy generation yet, we can all relate to getting overwhelmed by all the information and things we can do online at times. But to keep a healthy relationship with your devices, you’ll need to make some adjustments.

I’m not here to tell you to quit cold turkey. In fact, abruptly cutting yourself off from the digital world can stress you out in its own way. Here are some of my favorite, tried-and-true methods for getting that golden balance between feeling connected to your phone AND the world around you:

Make space for phone-free zones in your life. Maybe your bedroom after 10 PM, your commute to school, dinnertime with your family, etc. Not using my phone within an hour of bedtime and the first hour of waking up was a real game-changer for me.
Try OSAT: One screen at a time. Chances are you find yourself mindlessly using your phone even while “watching” TV or doing homework on your computer. Not only does this habit distract you and take the enjoyment out of those things, it reinforces your dependance on your phone and keeps you addicted. Focusing on what you actually want to do on your phone will help you feel more satisfied and probably spend less time on it in the long run.
Clean up your feeds. Do you actually like the content you’re consuming? Or is it just easy to shut your brain off and scroll? You don’t have to bedrot when you spend time online. If you tailor your algorithm to show you things that make you feel good about the time you spend online (bonus points if you can find ideas for spending time offline!), you’ll feel more in control of the quality of your screen time.
Become a DND warrior. We all have that one friend who you have to call twice because their phone is never on ring. But this annoyance actually inspires my last tip for you today, which is to shut those notifications off! You can turn off non-essential notifications and set specific times to check things like messages and social apps, especially during the school day. Our brains are wired to respond to every little buzz and ding our devices make, which can make it feel like we need to be ready to be online basically 24/7. But the more you get comfortable with setting boundaries, the less you you depend on your device.

Remember, your digital life should work for you, not the other way around. Start with small changes, see what helps, and remember that the real you is way more interesting than any online version could ever be.