SETTING AN END TO SCREEN SLAVERY

Being part of this digital generation is undoubtedly a double edged sword. It has never been easier to have a voice, but we also spend too much time looking into screens, missing what’s actually going on around us. I personally catch myself daily using social media as a distraction or procrastination device, ending up trapped in the infinite Youtube abyss.

It really came to a point where I felt like I needed to take some actions, as I found it to be a trigger for bad mental health as well. Unfortunately, due to my job as an editor and being a student, I can’t really cut screens out of my life once and for all. I have to accept it as a part of my live, yet I thought that there must be ways to control it better. So, if you are feeling as fed up as I do and and this is on your list of new year’s resolutions, here are a few tricks to reduce your screen time:

TOP TIP: TURN YOUR SCREEN BLACK AND WHITE

I found that this simple trick has really helped me the most. Go into your settings and turn on the Greyscale mode! If you don’t know how, here’s an instruction for IOS and Android. By doing this, you make scrolling on Instagram or Facebook a conscious decision.

How often do we pick up the phone to look something up or text back and spend an additional 15 mins scrolling aimlessly, forgetting why we took it into our hand in the first place? This is a good method to prevent the brainless scrolling mechanism while you can still do all the basic things.

DOWNLOAD THE ‘MOMENTS’ APP

This app is like the friend who tells you that you’ve had spinach between your teeth. It tells you the cold, rigid, hideous truth of how much time a day you actually spend looking at your phone and sends you notifications along the way. It gave me a wake up call. I always complain how there’s just not enough hours in a day for me, yet I waste roughly two hours a day on my phone?! It is a great way to be reminded to put your phone down and keep track of how well you are doing.

GET A WRIST WATCH

Probably self-explanatory, but once again, this is a great way to prevent aimless scrolling when you really just wanted to check the time. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on them. I found an amazing Gordon’s Gin wrist watch, fully functioning with a leather band at Snooper’s Paradise for a couple pounds.

DELETE UNNECESSARY APPS FROM YOUR PHONE

This might seem quite obvious, but it is making a big difference. I deleted Facebook from my phone and I don’t even miss it a little bit. You can just keep the separate messenger app, which is really why I use it in the first place, and don’t get annoying push notifications of groups or the girl you sat next to in primary school. Checking every now and then on my laptop is absolutely enough - no need for constant news streaming on-the-go. Remind yourself that you are not a moving broadcasting tower!

GET AN MP3 PLAYER

If your are using your phone daily to listen to music on your way to work, uni or friends, then you might find that getting an Ipod or any MP3 player will reduce your usage tremendously. The amount of time it costs to take out your phone to skip a song is manageable, but then sitting on the bus with the phone in your hand the whole time is unnecessary.

I got one from Ebay that has 80gb and it is totally worth the investment. You can have your whole musical library with you at all times, waste no battery and no data for streaming is required. Most importantly however, you can leave the phone in your bag where it belongs and leave it there until you need to make a call.

POST-IT TERROR

One for the laptoppers out there! I am highly reliant on this modern invention, even more than my phone. Essays, deadlines, research… BUT nobody has ever needed Gordon Ramsay Youtube videos to research on post modern literature, so block this evil website! At least for the time you need to complete whatever you need to do. Once you’re done, fold it back together and stick a post-it on it saying '“Nope, done for today… Don’t you dare!!!!” - Believe me, self-parenting can work.

I hope that implementing these simple tricks might help you in your every day life and you can just get your shit done. They sure won’t change the world, but it is quite remarkable what a big difference these seemingly small things can make.

Now, out of interest and as food for thought, I would like to leave this with the Gretchen question: If there was a button to delete the whole internet for everyone, would you push it?

Written by Anna Olivia Böke, who can be found as @annaolivchen on Instagram.