By Selina Chan
Teens have the tendency of getting sidetracked when they start using their phones. It is very common to become absorbed in scrolling through social media apps or wanting to play another round of a game.
A report by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization advocating safe technology, explains that on average, teens spend seven hours and 22 minutes on their phones a day. A lot of that time is used for leisure and entertainment, such as watching videos and playing games. This is significant because there is less time to complete work, which can lead to more stress and pressure. To continue, your mood and concentration are negatively affected by the prolonged time staring at a screen.
Here are some tips to help break free from your phone:
1. Turn off your notifications
When you are working on assignments, you should turn off your notification sounds, so you will have less of an urge to go on your phone. You will be more focused on finishing your work. To continue, there is less of a distraction because there will be no beeping sounds bugging you.
2. Delete distracting apps on your home screen
When you are scrolling through an app, you have the tendency of checking the others. This will cause you to be on your phone for an extended amount of time. To help, deleting apps that no longer are useful will prevent the unconscious behavior of opening one app after the other.
3. Set time limits on your apps
It is difficult for teens to find the right time to stop using their phones. Adding screen time limits will help you track the number of minutes you were on a particular app, and it encourages you to stop using the app when you reach the limit. This also helps lower your average screen time.
4. Stop using your phone before going to bed
Teens tend to use their phones before going to bed. This is an unhealthy habit because the blue light that’s emitted from the device makes it difficult to fall asleep. Instead, try not to use your device 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime. This will not only stop you from staying up late on your phone, but you will also wake up the next morning feeling energized.
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Oftentimes, teens lose track of the number of hours they are on their phones. It is completely normal, but spending too much time on a screen can lead you to feel tired and easily distracted. This affects your well-being because you will feel more stressed and isolated from other people. In order to prevent that, it is important to take breaks and follow the four tips listed to break free from your phone.
References:
https://abcnews.go.com/US/teens-spend-hours-screens-entertainment-day-report/story?id=66607555
https://www.sclhealth.org/blog/2019/09/why-it-is-time-to-ditch-the-phone-before-bed/