You want to see something freaky?
Go into your settings and look at your screen time report.
Earlier this year I finally turned off my screen time report notification when it kept telling me that my average weekly screen time was creeping up.
I looked at it today for the first time in a while, and it’s at 1 hour and 28 minutes per day on average. That’s down 29% from last week!
The truth is, picking up my smartphone has become almost a compulsive behavior.
Put Into Perspective
Let’s be generous and say I sleep eight hours a night. That gives us 16 waking hours left per day.
If, on average, I’m spending 1.5 hours per day on my phone, that leaves me 14 and 1/2 hours left in my day.
That doesn’t sound too bad.
But when I compare that to the time I spend doing my hobbies, that’s when it starts to seem like a lot.
- Reading: I definitely don’t read 1.5 hours a day.
- Knitting: if I knitted that long every day I’d have serious shoulder pains!
- Writing: nope.
- Exercising: it’s about 30 minutes every other day.
- Playing piano: I play for max. ten minutes if I’m lucky.
And remember: 1.5 hours is down 29% from last week! What was I DOING last week??
Checking the Phone Compulsively
I wake up, I check my phone. (The first pickup today was at 7:35am.)
My phone lives in my back pocket or sits next to me on the counter. It follows me upstairs, downstairs, outside… To the bathroom…
(Don’t tell me you don’t do it!)
Any change in pace or activity, any lull and I whip it out.
Mostly I’m on WhatsApp and Instagram. On WhatsApp I’m at least interacting with family and friends.
But on Instagram, it’s just mindless scrolling. I shoot past post after post, pausing occasionally to unmute and watch a video, or to like something.
The worst part is, though, that I’ve clicked on some Instagram ads. And have even bought off of Instagram ads!
Each time it happens I get SO ANNOYED with myself! I’m behaving exactly as Mark Zuckerberg wants me to and making him money with each stupid purchase.
Gah! Damn the man!
Why the Compulsive Checking?
I’ve been wondering about this. What is causing me to constantly reach for my phone?
Why am I mindlessly scrolling? Checking for messages I know have not come? Looking for likes when I haven’t posted anything?
What does it give me? Is it escapism? Am I doing it out of boredom?
Maybe it’s just become a habit, like twirling my hair. It certainly feels that mindless most of the time.
Looking for Contact?
Or is it that I’m desperately looking for contact?
I’d have to delve a little deeper into my screen time data to see if the pandemic has had much of an impact on my phone use.
Since we’re not seeing much of anyone, the phone is my only point of contact with anyone outside my household.
Perhaps this compulsive phone checking is simply an expression of loneliness.
What To Do?
1 .Forgive myself:
It’s okay to be desperate for contact in these socially distanced times. I think we can all relate to that.
2. Set some ground rules for phone use:
Not at the table. Not when I’m spending time with my Chico or the kids. Never in the car. Leave it downstairs at bedtime.
3. Delete Instagram:
I’ve done this before, and it was good. I still used my phone a lot for WhatsApp and other messaging apps, but at least I stopped the mindless scrolling (and stupid purchases. Damn you, Mark Zuckerberg!).
4. Wear my watch:
One of the biggest reasons I pick up my phone is to look at the time. Wearing a watch precludes that necessity.
5. Forgive myself again:
Don’t get mad at myself for failing to do any or all of the above. Even being more aware of my compulsive phone checking is a positive step forward.