To ask how many hours a day you spend on your phone

[behonest1]

I'm
Horrified

I just went into settings on my iPhone and battery and there is a screen time thing.

I average 5 hours a day on my phone.

Wow, that's so bad I can't quite believe it.

Come on, be honest, how long is yours? Please don't let me be the only one.

Also I clearly need to do something about this so hints and tips welcome please.

The irony that I'm online moaning about how much time I'm online ....

An hour at most.

But then,I do prefer using my desktop for internet as it's got a decent sized screen and storage for downloading etc

Similar. I have a dog, 2 teens, a DH, do most of the domestic stuff and work 24 hours a week. What a waste of my time. I used to be a voracious reader and now I rarely pick up a book.

Keep thinking I must change...

It depends what you’re using it for really. I regularly get up to 18 hours per day but that’s scrolling here, Reddit, random googling PLUS ‘non phone’ things, like Spotify, listening to the radio or radio catch-up, plus sometimes the iPlayer. I think that’s ok, it’s not wasted time. If I spent a lot of the day with the radio on, then watched a programme or two on to in the evening no one would think anything of it. So look at what you’re doing on there, not just the hours in total.

Last few weeks 4.5 hours, when I’m not in a great place it can be 7. I’m horrified. I’d like it to be less than 2, but some days that’s how long I’m on WhatsApp keeping up with work or school messages.

Too bloody many!

i tried setting the phone to black and white but that doesn’t work very well.
i now often try to ask myself consciously if I would rather mumsnet for an hour or pursue my hobby/go out instead.
also I have noticed how I see DH hunched over his mobile more and more. Again, I ask myself if I want my DC and the rest of the world see me like that all the time.
When I “need” to google something I try to see if I could ask friends and family instead, eg recipes, holiday suggestions, home remedies.

I use it for phone call the odd message

I cannot understand what anyone can do in screen for 5 hours a day other than look at other peoples boring and narcissistic shit on social media

To me that is a waste of a life

Go and see friends
Talk to people
Do a sport
Read a book
So many better things to do with your life

It varies because I learn a language on Duolingo so it depends how many lessons and revision I do on that. It could be between one and two hours per day. Other than that, I check the weather or my steptracker, use Google Translate to check an answer, take a lot of photographs and spend time tweaking them. I keep in touch with friends on WA.

But I don't really look at FB (might on PC if I've had notifications emailed) or bother with Tik Tok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, any of that stuff. I like MN because I enjoy seeing all the different opinions and the way people think, but I can't be bothered with many others.

I do spend a while on MN (on pc or laptop only) but on the phone Duolingo and WhatsApp are the biggest users of time. I imagine if I bothered about SM stuff it would be a lot more.

Also averaging 5 hours but my children don’t sleep well so I find myself reaching for my phone and watching tv programmes on it so I don’t have to watch Sofia the first on tv. I also don’t live close to friends so it’s my only form of contact with adults lol. I bought a few books from Rachel may Stafford about being hands free which I’m now starting to read as I really need to be less distracted with my phone

About 5 but I play games on it too. I have to leave it in a drawer sometimes though as I get anxious about people not texting me and things.

Mine is on for about 12hrs
Message friends
Google maps/calculator etc for work
Radio/music
Peloton app for fitness classes
Strava
Instagram
Watching YouTube/Netflix/apps
Playing games
Ringing/messaging work colleagues/boss
What's app group for work
Photos
Etc etc

I'm about the same as you op , I go on it a lot whilst I'm at work, I'm good at multitasking 😀

Mines 7/8

But several of those hours are music and reading, WhatsApp.

Starting to feel slightly better about my 3-4 hour average!
However would like tor reduce it significantly- but it’s a struggle….. 😳

What are you doing on mumsnet...?

About 4.5 average. I want to reduce it but it’s so hard. This thread is making me feel better!

Read news, watch something, message, call, check news post lunch, but of MN, reddit, insta, twitter for the latest political meldown, sudoku, memory training, bus times, emails, amazon, amazon, amazon, zoopla, news, calls with family.

Easy peasy tbh

I forgot Openlearn etc...

2-3 hours: checking weather, news, emails. FB +MN.

This is from a Reddit thread. Link is here: www.reddit.com/r/nosurf/comments/khwcb7/a_life_wasted/

For those wanting to read straight off the bat, I've copied and pasted:

You wake up in the morning. Pick up your phone. Check your notifications.

3 texts.

Check your email.

Open up Instagram, scroll through stories. Then scroll through new posts. Like, like, like, comment "lol"

Close instagram, open up an internet browser. Check the news, sports, Reddit.

Close the internet browser. Open up Youtube. Watch a video that pops up on your homepage.

Watch another video. Watch one more video.

Close Youtube. Open up Messenger. No new messages.

Close Messenger.

Open email. Respond to an email or two.

Close email. Open up your texts. Respond to a couple texts and group chats.

Close your texts. Look at the clock. An hour has passed. Still lying in bed.

Turn on Spotify and play a podcast.

Check Reddit. Browse your favorite subreddits.

Go to work, check your phone every 5-10 minutes for the next 8-10 hours, check your work email every time it pings.

Play youtube or a podcast in the background.

Go home, turn on Netflix, Youtube, cable television, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Disney+

Open up your laptop, surf the internet.

Open Youtube, watch a couple videos. One more video, then I'll be productive. One more video, then one more video.

Open your smartphone. Open Instagram. Scroll through stories and posts. Open up Reddit, scroll.

Bored of watching TV, turn off Netflix, and turn on your PS4, Xbox, Switch or PC to game.

Play video games, binge watch TV shows, movies in the background, scroll the internet, check TikTok, Instagram, Messenger, texts, email, news, sports, fashion, art, memes, Reddit.

Set your alarm and go to sleep.

Wake up and do this again tomorrow.

Do this every day, every week, every month, every year, every decade for the rest of your life.
**

I mean, we can swap the particular social media networks or relevant apps with another one(s), whichever ones we use and it amounts to the same thing.

This really hit home for me when I read it. I've deleted FB (feels like I've left a cult tbh!), rarely use Instagram, last time was about 12 weeks ago, and don't miss it. Twitter I binned many years ago. Not on any other social media other than the occasional look at Reddit. General internet scrolling I've greatly lessened. Less news also. Massively cut down on WhatApp and am trying to shift to having actual phone calls with those who matter to me, but aren't living close by - it feels like actually properly maintaining relationships, rather than constant messaging which I came to realise was massively eating into my free time, and let's face it, it's just utter nonsense in the main.

Instead of spending hours and hours each day glued to tech, I've taken up swimming, getting a tonne more artwork done, writing more poetry, learning how to cook more recipes, taking lots of lovely walks, and I'VE STARTED READING ACTUAL BOOKS AGAIN! Concentration levels are greatly improved. I'm happier. Frequently the phone goes into a drawer and I forget about it now. Would love a basic phone without the apps lol. Big fan of putting it on airplane mode also, as the joy of concentrating on making things (love to paint and sew), has grown exponentially.

Check out Cal Newport. He writes about Digital Minimalism.

Have you wver watched lightingmaps? There is an are in US which seem sto be having permanent thunderstorms. And there goes 30 min 😂

I don't allow my child to see me using the mobile, I do not want my child to think it's normal behaviour to spend hours scrolling on it. If I do use it I explain to family why I've picked it up and what I'm doing. My child has been taught it's bad manners to scroll on mobile in certain situations, e.g. at dinner time.

I find it helps to switch off all notification noises. Yes that means I miss phone calls! But if it's important I phone back. I do not want to be pulled like a puppet on a string when others demand, I respond at time of my convenience.

I also don't respond to emails and messages immediately, I make sure some time has passed first. Otherwise you get pulled into the spiders web.

I also don't take my phone out and about with me, e.g. on the school run.

It may sound extreme, but if I don't I find the blooming things addictive and could easily spend hours on it.

I hope that helps. Good luck!

Just checked - 3h36m average in the last week. Still too much!

6 hours a day on average.
But I do watch Netflix etc on it. I prefer it to the tv. 🙈

Mine averages between 2 & 2.5 hours per day. However I do use it a lot for work, phone calls, emails, logged into the company software system etc I tend to use my mobile as opposed to desktop then I can be in the warehouse if needed as opposed to sat at my desk.

Mine is 10 hours on average. That’s with having an online shop and spending the majority of the day checking orders, doing social media etc.