Please join me in beating my screen addiction - there’s more to life!

[Slimmingstar]

Since I got an iPad in 2016 I’ve spent more and more time on my devices and I’m at the point now I’m completely addicted.

Mumsnet is a big swallower of my time. I’m ashamed to say I’ve spent probably 12 hours on the phone, iPad or TV today - this is fairly typical now and I need to change.

I used to read all the time and I miss it, but books don’t hold my attention now. I used to bake and cook and now I don’t. I used to do puzzles, read the paper, play with my pet mice......... now I spend much of the time when I’m in indoors and not working, on screens.

I only work part time and odd hours and I’m on a screen whenever I’m not walking the dog or at an exercise class. It has to stop.

I’m neglecting the house - it’s a mess and there’s no excuse. I’m neglecting my partner and most of all I’m neglecting myself.

I’ve put on weight. I have a very healthy diet, but I spend so much time sitting and staring at a screen, I’m just not burning the calories I used to with general moving about.

I’ve lost my sex drive - I’m sure, in part, due to the fact I’m just doing nothing all day..........

I turn to my phone the minute I wake up and I fall asleep holding it. I never used to be like this and I’ve never had an addiction before (other than to exercise).

I don’t want to get to the end of my life and regret wasting it on screens.

I’m going to post on this thread once a day to keep me accountable and I’d love for others to join me if you are addicted too, or just want to cut down.

Can you put your phone into downtime between the hours of (for example) 7pm-9am.

That might help.

If you’d like help on how to turn on the downtime function, just yell and I’ll post it.

I’ve wasted another day on my phone looking at stuff. I’m not going to call it crap, because a lot of it has been interesting. But, it’s stopping me from things I need to do and want to do.
I’d love to cut my usage down to 3 hrs.

Joining in as would love to cut my screen time down, I think really I need to just turn my phone off for an hour or two and start it that way.

Thanks for the podcast.

Listening to the podcast (and messaging on here so I’ve clearly got a way to go!)

This is a useful thread. Thanks for posting. I have set a shorter goal in my settings and will listen to the stacey dooley podcast.

I did do well a few weeks back by putting my phone upstairs in the attic (where I go in the morning to meditate) . I put it there to charge when my son went to bed at 8.30pm. I then had the evening without it (although i did often watch a film or programme) then read my kindle in bed instead. So it still kind of feels like i swapped one screen for another but i was more present for the film and a book is better than scrolling before bed. I then didn't reach for it first thing so was up earlier to start my day. But as always these things went out the window and back to bad habits.

I also made sure I put it in my bedroom during the day so I didn't check it constantly when downstairs. Again, that has gone by the wayside too. I felt so much better when I did these things so I should do them again.

I've set my goal to get down to 4 hours average. When I feel I've got that then I'll lessen it again.

Great thread OP

This is a great thread! I definitely need to cut down. I'm around 5 hrs per day too. Ashamed to say a lot of it is in front of my kids so not setting a very good example.

Also all of that time is during the day as my phone goes off on airplane mode at 6.30pm and is used for white noise in the nursery! So even that isn't helping me cut down!!

So yesterday evening I didn’t use it after 10pm.
I’ve set my screen down-time from 9pm - 8am now.

This morning I had a quick 20 minute look, then went to yoga, came home and busied myself with house stuff - tidying, cooked chicken for the dog, washing etc.
Quick check in here, then I’m off to work in a minute, for a few hours. Will walk the dog when I get back.
I will try not to scroll/check at all while I’m working or walking the dog.
I’ve also got my phone on grey-screen, which makes it less enticing.

I’m feeling much better already and less ‘mushy’ in my brain.

My weekly average this week is 5hr 33 min.

The problem is, how do I use it for good not evil? I want to benefit from all the educational things on YouTube, the podcasts, the audible, and even enjoy the comradery on Mumsnet, but I don't want to be scrolling mindlessly till 2am in the morning for the next video/thread to keep my interest!!

Is there any way to completely exclude videos / make them difficult to click on on Fb, they can eat so much time and be sooo mindless?!

So does Freedom work? I started to download and was then unsure, and the free trial doesn’t let you try the hardcore bits iirc?

It's amazing how powerful it is just to have that check in time. I had no idea. I work quite well with that giide there in front of me (I'm aware of the irony that I need to check my phone to know though)
I was down to 3 hrs 15 yesterday and 45 minutes of that was a live chat with the bank which was unavoidable.
I have put a goal on my times and my amount of unlocks.

Thanks for the thread OP.

I've also tried to make sure that the times I use it are better for me than before. Over a year ago I took Facebook off my phone and it has been much better. I just check it on my laptop when i switch it on. I check any notifications and do what I need to for work then close it again.

It has meant I have spent longer on mumsnet instead but I try to choose my threads well. Im part of lots of supportive well being threads. I suppose what i need to lessen is the mindlessly scrolling through EVERY thread when I'm bored.

So my ideas to help me are....
Check in with the times to keep myself accountable.

Check in with the threads that are useful for me on here.
Check bank and news for a short time.
If I'm using the screen then make sure it's useful or for good (books, learning, audio books, check MFP or fitbit once a day, medications, yoga, research online for work etc.)
Find other things to do instead.

I have always wanted to learn how to crochet properly. I can do basic stitches so maybe i meed to start making a blanket or something for my upcoming first grandchild.
I've also always wanted to make mala bead necklaces and nearly started in lockdown. Stuff I can do in the evening instead of reaching for my phone.

Any other ideas?

I am horribly addicted and think I'm getting carpal tunnel syndrome in my hands. Yesterday I was on it for apparently 11 hours... I can't tell you how ashamed of that I am.

I've deleted all games from my phone and set a goal of 5 hours. So now I'm off downstairs for breakfast and I'm going to leave my phone up here. Small steps...

I use my phone far too much but I've made some small changes such as wearing a watch to check the time. I throw myself into small achievable tasks such as tidying, watch YouTube on the TV instead of my phone. When I talk to someone I put them on loadspeaker as it was hurting my hands to hold my phone but the biggest thing that has helped is I use an app called appblock on which I set timers. I went from using my phone 6hours a day to 3.5 and I'm working on it still. I'd love to throw my energy into a hobby rather than mindlessly scrolling.

I've discovered something ace which I wanted to share. Not sure where I am came across it, but I can connect my mobile to a keyboard. So vasically at the moment I am using a keyboard and typing this into my mobile. There is a mouse pointer and everything, you can swipe etc. The reason this is so exciting to me is that it puts a barrier between the mobile and me. The tactile touch screen is so addictive, but not nearly as satisying as typing into a keyboard.

Also, since I got my mobile I developed forzen shoulder that tooks years to resolve. I know its common in women but I'm sure the phone was linked to it. I've started to get sore knuckles and I'm sure it doesn't help overall, whereas I've got an ergonmic chair, upright mouse, so this is way better.

I'd prefer to use it this way when I know I need to do reorganise my to do list which is on Color Note or do lots of miscellaneous online jobs. This separates things e.g. not sitting on the sofa so much with my phone and not cramping my muscles as much.

I'm now going to look into whether I can turn my monitor into my phone screen.

Oops forgot to share how I did it. You can use the OTC adaprer (small thing with one that connect to phone charging point and other end has an outy USB connection. You needto stick that into a multiple USB port and stick your keyboard (needs to be a USB keyboard) into one of the multiple ports. Volia,

The other way is if you have bluetooth, you can just pair them, if it's a bluetooth keyboard.

So yesterday it all went a bit wrong - I missed my slot for work due to traffic, had a row with my DP so I just sort of zoned out on the screen, feeling fed up. I was conscious of it though and stopped and read my book during my screen down time.
I was still down on my hours and my open the phone clicks than the previous day.........

Today is a better day.

On my Samsung phone you can add the screen wellbeing to your front page. Just keeps it there in your mind when you open your phone.

@Dozer

When we put screentime controls on the DCs’ devices, I put them on mine. Daily time limits on specified social media, youtube and websites I like a lot (including mumsnet) (together, so if spend it all on MN no time for other things). And nothing after 9.30pm.

Has made a positive difference for me.

Hi Dozer How did you limit all the devices? Thx

Well, the good news is, I'm not sure where I got 11 hours from! Looking now, I can see Friday was 6h 38m, Saturday was 4h 40m and yesterday was 3h 28m.

The deletion of games has really helped; several times over the past two days I've wanted to sit at my computer and watch something on the screen while playing on my phone, but each time I've realised I don't have that option so have actually gone to do something else instead. I actually baked a cake yesterday!!

When you see you're spending 3 hours a day on games, this has been a real revelation. Thank you for the thread!

Today is 5h 54m but that includes some driving time (1h 11mins) using maps, so I don't feel too bad about it. I feel positive I can get the number down below 3h a day, eventually!

I am still on my phone too much. I am working through 'How to break up with your phone' again.

One of the tips was to add a note on the front screen:

What for
Why now
What else

To ask yourself what you are picking up your phone for, why now, what else you could do instead. It focused the mind as often there is no good reason!

I also downloaded a tracking App, the phone setting are good, but the one i downloaded called Your Hour has a floating timer that is on screen when you are online, telling me that I have so far today spent 39 minutes online!

I'm on my phone too much too.

Things that I have started doing :

If someone talks to me, especially my partner or child and I am on my phone I put it down and face them and give them full attention.

If I am going to watch TV I leave my phone in another room otherwise I pick it up every 5 minutes to check messages and Facebook and don't focus on the TV show

Oh God I desperately need this thread, thanks OP.
Average day last week was 7h44 🙈 I'm not massively busy at work atm and wfh. I'm not good at taking advantage and proactively getting stuff done, I need a deadline, so instead I just faff and read crap.
I'm at that stage though where I'm feeling quite disgusted with myself, it's an Easter Monday post-chocolate binge feeling! I'm ready for the phone diet.
I don't need my phone for work so plan for today is to leave it in a different room. When I've done this before it's staggering how much I default to it during the day and notice it's not there! I'm pretty sure I've made myself short sighted over lockdown too.
Why do I do it???
Thank you OP!

I had a longish drive yesterday and thought listening to my audio book would ramp up my hours. But it didn't add that on. Which seems fair as I wasn't looking at the screen.

I had an evening off last night though after a busy few days and i did go over my 4 hour limit which is not good.
And today will be hard as I have a day off. And I'm tired. I usually use my phone much more on these days in between cleaning the house. Got to figure out how to lessen it on these days. The busy days it's easier.

Id like to join you if I may? I did really well at cutting down screen time in the autumn, after an epiphany, but it's crept back up again, so I need to get back on it.