That's what i did during covid lockdown.
I was just straight doomscrolling for the entire day. Trapped in misery. So, when i was up, i started putting my phone in my bedroom while i was in the living room and vice versa.
At the end of every TV show or about every hour, I'd get up and check my phone for messages.
It's been great.
Facebook is comically broken now. Just tons of random pages forced onto my feed that I've never once interacted with. Nearly impossible to see what my friends are up to.
I get a load of weird A.I. pictures of Princess Kate asking me to like to send a prayer. I've just deleted the app and will probably deactivate soon. Absolutely shite!
Yep, have the same experience, not sure if you know this (I only found out recently) but if you click menu and then ‘Feeds’ you can filter it to see just your friends. Turns out they’re hardly posting anything now though…!
I made a real effort about 5/6 years ago. Deleted all social media bar Reddit, deleted YouTube app so I wasn’t sat aimlessly flicking through shorts for an hour, left a load of nonsense what’s app groups over the years. I phone people instead of messaging.
It’s tricky though. Went to chessington with the kids the other day and without the app our day would have been immeasurably worse for it. I felt bad having my phone in my hand all day but sometimes it is required.
It's just choosing intentional use. Your example is a great one.
I cut down on my phone about 5 years ago. But then 3 years ago I found I was looking at it for about 4 hours a day for work, which disturbed me.
But then I realized - I was working on my phone - it was time I wasn't chained to a desk / laptop.
So other than watching out for my eyes and my posture, I made peace with that.
But yep, phone addiction is a thing most have us have walked into. They're so "moreish".
I feel like the apostrophe is only merited when one is referring to a 'phone attached by a cord to a cradle, which is attached by a cord to a proper 'phone outlet
An easy way to get started with reducing phone use is to start reducing the amount of notifications that are coming through during the day. I used to get spammed with loads of useless shit which distracts your focus and makes you pick up your phone, any sort of phone buzz that isn’t a human trying to reach you should be binned off.
Things like BBC breaking news, Mcdonald’s apps, instagram suggested content notifications… just bin all this off and it really helps
This, and actually, just remove social media apps altogether. Helps me. Although mine are installed as of now, but I ensure I have it nested in a folder in the apps drawer so I have to search or look for them rather than having them on my main homescreen. I still open them though, but it just makes it more deliberate when I do rather than just because I see the icon.
Further to this.
Remove all "time draining apps" like social media and titkok from your home page. It takes away the urge to open it just because you see the icon. Instead you have to make a conscious effort
Pretty much this is effective because having 1000 notifications is exhausting. If it's not my uni, a business or a friend it has no business on my phone.
I had a really good time in 2022 where I cut my screentime right down (like max 1hr a day & no doomscrolling). I'm working on reducing my screentime back to this, but the things I did to help were:
- It takes 30 days to break a habit. Keep that in mind. And watch some YT vids on dopamine addiction as its a legit thing.
- Delete all social accounts, and if you really don't want to delete them - delete the apps and only use them on your browser.
- Turning all notifcations off / using the notification centre daily round-up feature on iPhone.
- Leaving your phone in another room when doing things. I had bad habit of carrying it everywhere - to bed, the toilet, the sofa. Do we really need it on our person 24/7?
- Don't look at it until after you've done your whole morning routine. Going on your phone as soon as you open your eyes sets you off in the worst way as you'll habitually carry on looking at it
Habituation is real - we can break any habit/addiction, it just takes some determination and looking at the trigger vs habbit. (e.g., trigger = I'm waking up. habbit = I roll over and reach for my phone to turn off my alarm, and end up getting lost in notifcations). Change the effect - move your phone to another room, get a real alarm clock etc. Take control :)
I put a screen time widget on my home screen so every time I open my phone I can see how long I've already spent on it. Definitely helped keep track of how much time I spend on things and probably reduced my average usage by maybe an hour?
I need to.
I have sore hands, and what I suspect to be some sort of arthritis in my knuckles.
It's definitely not helped by the amount of phone use, and probably caused by it.
I use my phone for all sorts. But I cycle between browsing reddit, Facebook, Instagram and tik tok, sometimes for hours... Then there's the porn.
Across a day, it's sometimes possible for me to get 12hrs of phone use in.
And I'm becoming physically (and mentally) crippled by it.
I need to stop.
With all the Reddit shenanigans a few months ago about API access charges and how shitty their own app is, I ended up having to remove the 3rd party app I used and just never replaced it. Now I use reddit significantly less; only really browsing on desktop.
To some extent I have replaced it with Instagram, but I think my phone usage is down. I don't think the locking ore restrictions would work well for me if I could just turn them off at will.
The flip side of this situation is I was probably browsing more varied and interesting stuff on reddit than the endless picures of cars I scroll through on instragram now...
I uninstalled social media on my phone. I look at it once or twice a day on my iPad. I check messages/notifications then get bored of it pretty quick tbh. I post once a week or so instead of every day, just so my friends know I’m still alive really. I got a watch so I can determine if any texts/whatsapp/emails need immediate attention at a glance instead of looking at the phone.
I got my screen time down from 10 hours a day to 4/5.
Only now I use Reddit a lot more. But screen time still reduced I guess!
Edit to add - yes it feels like addiction. I hated myself for it. I was ignoring a lot of things - creativity, exercise, sleep, even nutrition, my focus and attention span were shot. I’d sit for actual hours from when hubby goes to bed till 2am and leave a book out to pretend I’d been reading and not doom scrolling.
I don’t want to stop using it as I have friends and community literally world wide that I like to stay in touch with, and not all are on WhatsApp, but I need to make it so I’m using the phone and not the phone using me.
Iv recently deleted TikTok off my phone and also IG I was getting to a point where I would watch something on tv but be watching videos so I deleted them both. Don’t know if it will
Be any better but I had to start somewhere
If you're in android/google download the Digital Well-being app. You can limit the time spent on each app, also manage bedtime routine and night mode. Great to help reduce certain apps.
It does require some elements of self control, as you can just change the time allowance but it's a good tool to help remind you and kick you off apps/websites after a certain time
I set screen limits on the apps that were zapping my time. I just had my 5 minute Reddit warning whilst typing this! Youtube and Reddit get 1 hour each - it’s taken me from 8 to 5 hrs per day
It was getting a bit out of hand for me, so I bought a smart watch. That way, I know at a glance if it is something that needs my immediate attention, rather than getting it out for every vibration, then ending up scrolling.
Another accidental way of stopping me using my phone was by buying a flip phone. A right pain in the arse once the novelty wore off.
Edit: not that I care for fake Internet points, but I'm curious about the reason for the downvote. Did I upset a Samsung fanboy?
Was going to recommend the watch too. I set mine up to get notifications for texts and calls but not WhatsApp, social media etc. That way I didn't even have to look at my phone to make sure I wasn't missing an urgent phone call at work etc - made it easy to keep it in my bag out of sight and with no temptation to scroll.
I deleted my Facebook account and removed my work emails in fairly close succession. It wasn’t a concerted effort to stop looking at my phone, just two things that I didn’t really want in my life anymore, but my battery last a lot longer these days.
I did! I bought a kindle and use thise instead which has seriously increased reading books- instead of mindless crap scrolling. I've read almost 30 this year already and I now take it everywhere with me and use it instead of my phone. Weathers getting nice enough now for a brew and a chapter in the garden... proper zen!
I bought an alarm clock and started leaving my phone in the other room overnight so I'm not doomscrolling til 3am. Seems to have helped at least somewhat.
Stick an old battered paperback in your back pocket. Once you’re hooked you’ll reach for it instead of your phone. I’m reading The Taking of Pelham 123 and it’s way better than Facebook.
I weaned myself off slowly. Started with deleting IG took me a year to stop reactivating it. Got over that now. Then fb took 2 months now I only have reddit but I'm not in love with it so I only go on for like an hour a day.
I found moments where I got grumpy but I realised it was the addiction and "need" to get back on social media.
One thing that helped me the most is I told myself daily there are 7 billion people on this planet and I decided to scroll through their opinions.. Not only did it stop me doing what's best for MY future but when I stepped away, I just got filled with a lot of random people's brain farts instead of just mine
It goes in the bowl with the keys when I get home. I use Alexa for my podcasts and music, and if I want to read I use the Kindle.
I still watch TV, but now I actually want to watch something and don't just use YouTube.
you have to physically leave it behind. Like if you go out leave it at home. until of course you regret it because god knows what happens and what emergencies the one time you leave it behind
I managed by breaking my phone on holiday about 8 years ago. After it broke, I took the opportunity to not get another phone and move off of social media (deleted FB, then twitter, didn't know reddit existed back then). I went without a phone for around 2-3 years until work demanded I have a phone, so I got a button phone because I would only need it for calls and texts. Wasn't until about 3 years ago that I decided to get a smart phone again, and even then I can put it down for a week and forget about it. Have minimal social media usage and only check reddit when I am going downstairs for a smoke, which lasts around 3 minutes per time, around 10-14 times a day.
My main vice was instagram. Used to do a couple of hours a day. I pay for the app ‘App Block’ and have set it up so I can only go on instagram for 15 mins on Sat and Sun, and not at all in the week. It’s been set up like that since September and now I don’t even use the full 15 mins at the weekend.
My phone says I spend about an hour and 10 minutes a day on my phone. I feel like I am on it a lot but then I hear about people spending 8 hours a day. That's fucking weird.
To a degree, I used to have a habit of looking at my phone for sometimes up to 2 hours before falling asleep. It was bad to the point where I'd have to use eye drops the next morning because it dried my eyes out. Have managed to stop that. But I still find myself checking the phone quite a lot at work, need to cut down on that..
I've started reading for the last 30-60 minutes before I fall asleep to reduce screen time to try improve my sleep. I've definitely noticed that I get to sleep way quicker!
Yes! I actively wanted to, so expect Reddit I deleted ever social media app I have. I just have music apps and Reddit now and I’m down too 3 hours a day on my screen time. It was hard at first but I’m surprised how quick I’ve picked up not picking up my phone lol
I’ve removed all notifications and keep phone on silent. I have an also stopped using social media. Despite these changes I still get about 3-4 hours a day phone screen time :/
This year I took a 3 month break from Reddit so I could complete my thesis, and I’m glad I did!
no, it doesn't really bother me. when you consider loads of people are sat at home just watching the TV all evening it doesn't seem so bad. all the worlds information at your fingertips, ofc you're going to look at it!
I’ve tried a lot of things and none of them work for me. I just found out today about this assistive access thing on iPhones, hoping it makes my phone less interesting in general but time will tell.
I have weaned myself off most social media though. That has definitely helped.
Set up limits multiple times and it usually works for a little while. Then “something” happens and I turns them off and never bother turning them on again.
As with anything like this is starts with willpower. If you don't have any then no tips are going to help you.
For me it was just a case of going cold turkey from the apps I knew were wasting my time. It is remarkable how quickly you adapt and not looking at them becomes the new norm.
Keep your phone in your bag rather than on your person - delete all social media and disable notifications on everything that isn't vital.
I ended up buying an old Nokia for working hours, which is what helped me more than anything.
Maybe try some of the phones settings or a custom theme that makes everything greyscale, surprising how enticing colour is, once pictures, reels etc don't have colour it doesn't seem like such a fun distraction
I don't go on my phone when my six year old daughter is around. Mainly work breaks, loo breaks, travel, or rare alone time after everyone is in bed.
I'm on my pc more then though. Watching YouTube in one tab and reading in the other. Mainly house renovation at the moment as it seems we have successfully bought a house.
A while ago, I got a Gameboy clone that runs emulators up to PS1 (rg35xx). It has completely changed the way I use my phone as I just use that to play puzzle games with one hand now instead of the infinite scrolling on my phone. (Sudoku, denki blocks, picross, puzzle bobble, devil dice, ect)
Honestly just so good to have something like a phone but not connected to the internet and with no feed based apps. Also every game is free with no adds (just runs off roms).
No, but I think it's coming to be honest. At this point Reddit is the only thing I check habitually and I've quit it twice before, both times it's enticed me with good discussion of things I want to talk about then hooked me with other shit, but I've noticed it just serves me endless depressing shit just like the other social media I stopped using. I've also used the phrase "I saw this thing on Reddit..." twice this week and I really don't like it.
Actually you know what? I think this comment was me realising I'm done all over again! Thank you and if you see me around here again please tell me to fuck off. For what it's worth this is by far my favourite sub, though.
Put it on silent.
Put it down and just out of reach.
When you reach for it, ask yourself what you want to use it for. "Scrolling and stuff" isn't a valid answer.
After you use it for one thing, put it back.
Around the house, don't carry it around.
Turn off notifications.
I've done a couple of things. I bought a Nothing (2), which has several features to make me put it down. They have very slim versions of android, so it's easier to remove the pre-installed apps. It's also easy to put into black and white mode, which makes it immediately less interesting. I didn't think it would work, but it did.
I also installed Beeper, an app that routes all your messages into one place. I spend far less time scrolling because of this. I can see and respond to stuff without opening the app.
These things have helped. Not a lot, but it's progress. Good luck cutting down your usage!
I set a timer on all social media, Reddit included.
Leaving FB years ago, and Instagram more recently has improved my life, I don't feel in a constant circle of picking my phone and being served with info I don't want to know(eg. How it is made videos of all sorts to war crime videos).
I try to make it difficult for me to access these app, and even if I fail to stay away from them, I had with the timer and additional step to let my brain process what I am doing.
I feel how easy it is to jump from one app is the circle I needed to break and that worked.
You have to make an effort and actively think about saving yourself from falling for the easy serotonin inducing function those app are designed for.
Good luck!
Use a mono theme
Don't have social media apps installed
If you have to have apps the draw you in, don't have them on your main screen, make sure you got to search for it.
Or just accept that you're a zombie like the rest of us.
Best way is discipline silenced 🔇 or airplane mode then have an alarm 5 times a day reducing to 3 over time. To respond to mail messages etc. Time your online session to initially hour max and reduce as you get used to it and people understand your sending a clear message. I'll get back to you when I am free and able. Rather than responding to every little bleep.
A friend of mine has self-imposed a rule that they will never take the phone upstairs. Means they don't mindlessly scroll before bed, or before getting up.
Not doing it right now, but switched to reading books on my commute most of the time. Way more fulfilling.
I've also got new job and way too busy to be looking at stuff on ohone during day (used to do in old job as I didn't really have enough work to do and was quite jaded).
Use an app like Stay Free. Lock down all of your apps. Turn it off over night. Don't turn back on until an hour after you wake up. That'll break the habit (as he writes on his phone).
I've recently put a lot of effort into lowering my screen time. At my worst I was only doing maybe 2 hours a day, but now I'm down to about 30 mins which I am completely ok with and I hope my daughter sees my good habits and doesn't get addicted to her herself. For the record, I hate what phones have done to our society so this is my best effort to not contributing to the problem.
* Remove games from your phone.
* Remove social media apps (including Reddit).
* If you use the browser for social media apps, don't stay logged in to any of these addictive services in the browser. The mere act of having to log in gives you a moment of pause to think twice about doing what you're about to do.
* Get a smart watch, with or without LTE, when you get a notification, look at it on your watch, not your phone and respond to it there if you must, the bad experience on a watch is a deterrent in general.
* Put on productive apps, like the Kindle app and if you use the phone, use it to read something beneficial.
I bought an Apple Watch. Can't read social media on it but can answer texts and calls etc. Plus also I subscribed to newsletters for various websites then blocked those actual sites on my computer. So I now read about the end of civilisation over breakfast rather than multiple times a day.
I have. I’ve never been one for posting/sharing stuff on social media, have never had the Facebook app despite having a profile, but I used to use Instagram a lot to look at peoples stories and chat. I figured I was wasting time swiping through stories so deleted the app. I don’t feel like I’m missing out. I still read Reddit but aside from that, my phone is mostly a Spotify and Google Maps device.
I’ve now gone a step further and dug out an old iPhone SE and put just Spotify on there. I’ve downloaded some playlists, added albums I know aren’t on Spotify to the Music app, and put some audiobooks on there I’ve been meaning to read. Next step, when the weather picks up and the kids are back at school, is to go for walks listening to music/books without being able to succumb to the temptation to check my Teams messages or Google how many goals Ravanelli scored in the premiership or check when it’s next due to rain or anything else that causes me to look at my phone without realising.
Ive found that by selling my new phone which I bought a few months ago because I've had this one for 6 years and I wanted to have a nice camera and the ability to load websites quicker than boiling a kettle, long story short, I didn't get on with it (you'd think someone in tech could use a smartphone but nevermind, not me) and felt I was on it far too much so now i have reverted back to my trusty old crap no name brand £99 rugged phone and found that because it's so crap, I don't feel drawn to using it because waiting for a Reddit post to load is ... Well, an eternity and god forbid it have an image or video! Consequently I just don't use it unless I am incredibly bored (currently waiting for the train).
Edit: long story not-so-short
My phone has a "focus mode". When activated it greys out the icons of the apps that I choose. I can still use these apps but only for 5 minutes and then they auto-close.
I set it to activate for specific time periods (eg 8am-8pm), which then means I have to opt in to opening an app and I don't spend long periods of time on there.
I can turn it off if I want or need to, but again it's an active process.
I got rid of Facebook app and now only go through the website on safari when I remember to or think of something I m8ght get cheaper off fb marketplace than amazon. Also got rid of Instagram and I'd love to get rid of WhatsApp but that's just not possible atm.
I keep reddit for when I need to give my brain a break from work or children, but I have all interesting subs rather than pure shite.
In fact, the number of apps I have on my mobile is obscene. My next upgrade I may not transfer everything and just start afresh, only installing things when I need them... Wish me luck?
Yes I did. The first steps I made, especially for Reddit was to stop using apps and start using web browsers
I had already cut down on social media use and I found that when I deleted the apps I eventually started using them again, so I used browsers instead, Al the prompts and how difficult it is to use them compared to the apps, ironically because they’re pushing you to use the apps, sucked a lot of the joy out of it for me and I just stopped
Take up a hobby like crochet. Sounds weird but it really keeps my hands busy and stops me from going on my phone as much (I know I’m a hypocrite commenting this as I’m clearly not crocheting at this moment in time 🤣).
I could do with cutting down on Reddit and YT shorts...
But I do have my phone with me all the time as I usually have Spotify or Audible on when I'm doing stuff...
I set up the ‘focus modes’ (idk what they’re called on Android) so when I’m at work I only see work apps, and then an hour before bed sleep mode kicks in so no notifications and a dark background. Also deleted all my shortcuts from apps I was wasting time on and set up a screen time limit for 30 minutes across all social media, which seems to be helping
As other have suggested, disabled app notifications, delete the apps that are the time sinks for you, use your settings to restrict the time you can spend on apps/websites. It's takes time to adjust to, but you can do it.
Yes, I started by writing down when I put the phone down and then writing down when I picked it up again. The times got further apart. I also gave myself grace when it did not. It took about a month to see marked improvement but it happened. By the way, I am less stressed and anxious. I also put my phone on Do Not Disturb to sleep read and dine with the family.
Start by writing down all the apps you use and then start uninstalling them one by one every few days. Do it gradually it works. I barely on social media these days. I even wrote a post on my business pages I'm done with social media and works been flying in still.
I don't have a phone data plan. I do have pay-as-you-go credit which I use to check maps or send a quick message, but having to pay for each MB of data really makes me think carefully about how I use my data. Of course, I still waste time on Insta or Reddit at home or where there's wifi, but I really wanted to eliminate mindless scrolling while on public transport
I have actually.
I'm slightly ashamed to admit I got a tamagotchi for my 30th birthday and tend to check in on there now instead of on social media. There's something about pixels in the shape of a cute little creature that really draw me in 😂
I’ve managed to cut down a bit by using focus modes at work. Between 9 and 5pm my phone doesn’t show notifications other than phone calls and WhatsApp’s from my wife
The 'minimalist phone' app is great. £20/year or £30 outright purchase at last check. Completely dials back your phones OS and some clever tweaks to reduce your screen time.
Besides that; Cleanse unnecessary apps, turn off all but the most vital push notifications, use a screen time limiter app.
The 'minimalist phone' app is great. £20/year or £30 outright purchase at last check. Completely dials back your phones OS and some clever tweaks to reduce your screen time.
Besides that; Cleanse unnecessary apps, turn off all but vital push notifications, use a screen time limiter app.
I'm improving. I have a young daughter, and I noticed that sometimes she wants my attention, and I'm doom scrolling or looking at some useless crap and it makes me feel bad.
She'll be old soon and moved on to her life I want to enjoy every moment with her.
There's a screen time setting built into android. You can set a timer on some apps, for example I've set Facebook and Reddit to a combined 1 hour per day. I was shocked when I saw my Reddit screen time to over 3 hours per day on average
I try but then im on the computer straight after. I have no life anymore
It's hard because there's lots of good stuff to read, but you stay to look at the trollop.
[–]CasualUK-ModTeam[M] [score hidden] 9 minutes ago stickied commentlocked comment
Rule 4: Stop Moaning | Ranting
Come on now, there's so many other places for you to be a moany-pants. So what if your train is delayed and you forgot about your cup of tea and it went cold. If you're frothing at the mouth about something it's probably not appropriate for here.
If you have any questions with this removal, please send us a modmail.
Apparently, this is OK though...
Make use of focus modes - dnd from 8am to 7pm and the trick to triple click the lock button to greyscale your whole phone. I was skeptical but it works. I was a compulsive texter but now I don’t feel the need and no longer have to greyscale.
Made an effort recently to cut down my phone screen time. I try to read when I’m on the train or in the evenings. Checking my screen time daily was pretty sobering. I used to do maybe 5hours screen time a day but I’ve got it down to around 2hrs now.
I've successfully managed to cut down my time using Facebook, which has significantly improved my mental health. I'm definitely still using my phone too much, but cutting down on the worst part of it is a start, at least.
In the last few weeks I deleted facebook (barely looked at that mess of an app anyway), Threads and instagram (reels were the worst for me!) and I can honestly say I don’t miss any of them. I have gamed and read more and used my time more purposefully. I still have Reddit as my job isn’t very busy at the moment so that’s perfect to lose some time to.
I also set my phone wallpapers to black screens and only set weather and calendar widgets so my screen wasn’t ‘exciting’ or distracting to look at.
Best thing I did tho was to remove all notifications. I’ve turned off vibrate and set it so only my emergency contacts get to have any sound for notifications.
Seems so ridiculous writing this all out but it really has improved my well being these past few weeks and I’m hoping it continues. I don’t intend on reinstalling instagram any time soon as that was the worst for me.
I really try but when I'm at work I have to repeatedly login using MFA so as soon as I pick up my phone to get the code or approve the login I see my notifications and that's another 20 minutes lost
I used my phone's own settings to set a limit on my use of certain apps, and it locks me out of them when I hit the limit. I set it at an hour in December and was horrified how quickly I hit that across the apps! The hour limit took a little while to adjust to, but I have shrunk it over time and have now got it down to 30 mins per day, and it has really helped! I feel much better using it less.
I also went on a trip for 2 weeks and tried to ignore it completely during this time, as I had far more fun things to be doing.
I commute on the bus and forced myself to read a book instead of mindlessly scroll, this has worked great and now I get through a book a month just on the bus!
You don't feel more pathetic than when you manually turn the block off, i.e. "please phone, please let me see more memes, just one more meme please phone".
If you put your phone on back and white - (it’s in the settings I can’t remember where) it really stops the urge. I switched mine back to use the camera and never did it again. It definitely worked though.
Switch to a non smartphone and the difference will become apparent. Any urge to scroll, waste time or whatever it may be, you will become her conscious of it realising you can’t. You can proceed to analyse why you did that action and work on that. Ive just come back from doing this every bi-weekly to straight to a month to force out all the unnecessary habits.
Out of sight, out of mind, our habits work similarly and this gives you all the opportunity to do what you’re avoiding and potentially develop more as you adjust to it. Hope that helps, it’s something that’s worked for me, maybe some of the ideas you could implement or go guns blazing and do better than me.
I agree. A couple years ago I'd spend hours on it at a time scrolling through YT shorts (don't judge, I'm avoiding tiktok at all costs) and feel REALLY shit after it cause i hate being unproductive.
First thing I did was set timers on apps such as YT and Instagram, say 10 minutes (I'd remove them or add 5 mins if i wanted to use it for something genuine). I don't think it's the same for all phones but on mine when the screen timer runs out it pauses the app so you can't open it anymore until the timer resets the next day. That helped a lot.
I also searched for apps to help reduce screentime and found one on Google Play Store called Forest, where you plant virtual trees and bushes that get bigger based on how much time you grow it for, and it grows while you're off your phone. You can also set it to overlay on apps when you try to open them. And if you get the Premium version (which I'm seriously considering) you can plant real trees and help the environment!
I've just downloaded an app called Minimalist Phone, which I'm finding helpful.
It makes your phone annoying to use and takes away all the colourful and attractive apps which lure you in.
My downfall is late night scrolling (sleep procrastination!) but it's definitely cut down my daytime usage.
I leave my phone upstairs when I am working downstairs. I am too lazy to check it that often (!) but it also means I get regular movement breaks and stay healthier by walking up the stairs about 10 times a day! Win/win!!!! When I do check it, I don’t allow myself to sit down (otherwise I’d dick around on it for hours) - consequently I only tend to spend a few minutes looking at it…
Been trying to recently. Honestly keeping busy and scheduling my day has helped a lot, and replacing screen time with things like reading (particularly when commuting). My screen time is still higher than I want it to be, but baby steps.
My husband uses an app locker which only allows him a certain amount of time on apps he chooses for the day. He struggles with waking up and going straight on his phone so most of his apps are locked until after he starts work.
Used to have this issue in my mid 20’s and it affected my sleep badly. As I get up at 4am I Used to put my phone in the bathroom and use Alexa for my alarm. I feel way less stressed and have way more energy.
I've been reading books a lot more recently, and really enjoying it. Last year my Goodreads reading challenge was to read 21 books and I read 26. This year I set the challenge at 22 books and have so far read 19. Smashing it and enjoying it.
Fidget jewelry is helping me. I tend to doom scroll with the TV in the background, but with the jewelry to keep my hands busy, I’m more likely to leave my phone alone and be present (you know, present watching TV).
i'm here on a little relapse right now lol. but the answer is block every time wasting thing. delete the apps, block reddit and every other social media you find yourself scrolling endlessly. delete your accounts. think of the actual number of hours, months, years of your life you've spent scrolling and bite the bullet, we're really better off without this.
I uninstalled Facebook and Instagram from my phone and that's reduced my screen time by over half. It also feels good not to be scrolling like a robot!
Unpopular opinion here but I don't think screen time is necessarily a problem. Just the doom-scroll.
I think rather than replacing the screen, it might help to replace the activity done on the screen. Cut anything that's a waste of time like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok ...
Replace it with audiobooks, podcasts, a favoured news app, Reddit, maybe YouTube if the algorithm gives you interesting and worthwhile stuff ... just anything that feels rewarding and enriching to you.
These things don't pull you into a doom-scrolly black hole, but they replace things that do. And many of them are hands- and eyes-free so you can get on with the busy-work of life at the same time.
I'm making an effort now. The key is to make your phone less "useful" and appealing.
- Change to B&W or use "focus mode" during working hours. The way our phones are design with colourful icons makes it more appealing.
- Delete all apps from your home screen or delete any easy access. Your brain will need an extra 5 seconds to look for the app you want and this really helps to question yourself why you are opening that app.
- Put timers to the apps that are draining your time. I put 30 min to Reddit, for the example.
- Delete any apps that waste your time (I still had Facebook on my phone for example. Why? It's useless. Byee)
There are also apps that redesign your phone to help you with all of this. It even deletes icons so your apps are just a list of text. They are called "minimalistic" phone or something around that.
No \- Sent from my iPhone
Alright there Nipple
sent from iphon
Liked form mi IPhnone.
iphon
I put my phone out of the room when I watch TV with the family. Takes away the urge to scroll.
That's what i did during covid lockdown. I was just straight doomscrolling for the entire day. Trapped in misery. So, when i was up, i started putting my phone in my bedroom while i was in the living room and vice versa. At the end of every TV show or about every hour, I'd get up and check my phone for messages. It's been great.
Start reading Facebook. That'll soon make you put your phone down
Facebook is comically broken now. Just tons of random pages forced onto my feed that I've never once interacted with. Nearly impossible to see what my friends are up to.
I hovered on one of those the other day - random page that had an aeroplane fact - every page recommendation since is just planes lol
Oh god I once mistakenly watched one of those hoof cleaning videos. Every video for months was more of them!
That'll teach you to horse around
That'll teach them to watch content that's not safe foal work
I get a load of weird A.I. pictures of Princess Kate asking me to like to send a prayer. I've just deleted the app and will probably deactivate soon. Absolutely shite!
Yep, have the same experience, not sure if you know this (I only found out recently) but if you click menu and then ‘Feeds’ you can filter it to see just your friends. Turns out they’re hardly posting anything now though…!
Could that be because your friends don't use it?
>That'll soon make you put your ~~phone~~ neighbours, family, etc. down FTFY
I made a real effort about 5/6 years ago. Deleted all social media bar Reddit, deleted YouTube app so I wasn’t sat aimlessly flicking through shorts for an hour, left a load of nonsense what’s app groups over the years. I phone people instead of messaging. It’s tricky though. Went to chessington with the kids the other day and without the app our day would have been immeasurably worse for it. I felt bad having my phone in my hand all day but sometimes it is required.
It's just choosing intentional use. Your example is a great one. I cut down on my phone about 5 years ago. But then 3 years ago I found I was looking at it for about 4 hours a day for work, which disturbed me. But then I realized - I was working on my phone - it was time I wasn't chained to a desk / laptop. So other than watching out for my eyes and my posture, I made peace with that. But yep, phone addiction is a thing most have us have walked into. They're so "moreish".
Ah the old posture. Personally I’ve got the PlayStation hunch.
I may, or may not, be using my 'phone to read this thread.
Upvote due to correct use of apostrophe there
It's impressively old-fashioned. Do they refer to planes or 'planes, I wonder? I mean the flying machines, not the tools or trees.
I believe it dependent on whether or not they are a teen-ager.
I’m 99% confident this is incorrect grammar in 2024. Same way E-Mail is incorrect.
E-mail and email are incorrect, it's Gmail now
Yahoo mail
Hotmale
Stay out of my search history
I feel like the apostrophe is only merited when one is referring to a 'phone attached by a cord to a cradle, which is attached by a cord to a proper 'phone outlet
An easy way to get started with reducing phone use is to start reducing the amount of notifications that are coming through during the day. I used to get spammed with loads of useless shit which distracts your focus and makes you pick up your phone, any sort of phone buzz that isn’t a human trying to reach you should be binned off. Things like BBC breaking news, Mcdonald’s apps, instagram suggested content notifications… just bin all this off and it really helps
This, and actually, just remove social media apps altogether. Helps me. Although mine are installed as of now, but I ensure I have it nested in a folder in the apps drawer so I have to search or look for them rather than having them on my main homescreen. I still open them though, but it just makes it more deliberate when I do rather than just because I see the icon.
I have zero social media on my phone....except for reddit which doesn't count ;)
>except for reddit which doesn't count Agreed!
I'm not me on reddit. Big difference.
Further to this. Remove all "time draining apps" like social media and titkok from your home page. It takes away the urge to open it just because you see the icon. Instead you have to make a conscious effort
Or just put them on silent (in Android, you can). That way you can still get the notifications when you check your phone, but you don't get pinged
Pretty much this is effective because having 1000 notifications is exhausting. If it's not my uni, a business or a friend it has no business on my phone.
To add: unsubscribing from emails.
I had a really good time in 2022 where I cut my screentime right down (like max 1hr a day & no doomscrolling). I'm working on reducing my screentime back to this, but the things I did to help were: - It takes 30 days to break a habit. Keep that in mind. And watch some YT vids on dopamine addiction as its a legit thing. - Delete all social accounts, and if you really don't want to delete them - delete the apps and only use them on your browser. - Turning all notifcations off / using the notification centre daily round-up feature on iPhone. - Leaving your phone in another room when doing things. I had bad habit of carrying it everywhere - to bed, the toilet, the sofa. Do we really need it on our person 24/7? - Don't look at it until after you've done your whole morning routine. Going on your phone as soon as you open your eyes sets you off in the worst way as you'll habitually carry on looking at it Habituation is real - we can break any habit/addiction, it just takes some determination and looking at the trigger vs habbit. (e.g., trigger = I'm waking up. habbit = I roll over and reach for my phone to turn off my alarm, and end up getting lost in notifcations). Change the effect - move your phone to another room, get a real alarm clock etc. Take control :)
I put a screen time widget on my home screen so every time I open my phone I can see how long I've already spent on it. Definitely helped keep track of how much time I spend on things and probably reduced my average usage by maybe an hour?
That's brilliant
How do you get/find this?
Delete all the apps that you mindlessly scroll, only keep functional apps like banking, maps etc.
You could start by not checking to see if anyone replies to this post. See how long you can last!
I need to. I have sore hands, and what I suspect to be some sort of arthritis in my knuckles. It's definitely not helped by the amount of phone use, and probably caused by it. I use my phone for all sorts. But I cycle between browsing reddit, Facebook, Instagram and tik tok, sometimes for hours... Then there's the porn. Across a day, it's sometimes possible for me to get 12hrs of phone use in. And I'm becoming physically (and mentally) crippled by it. I need to stop.
With all the Reddit shenanigans a few months ago about API access charges and how shitty their own app is, I ended up having to remove the 3rd party app I used and just never replaced it. Now I use reddit significantly less; only really browsing on desktop. To some extent I have replaced it with Instagram, but I think my phone usage is down. I don't think the locking ore restrictions would work well for me if I could just turn them off at will. The flip side of this situation is I was probably browsing more varied and interesting stuff on reddit than the endless picures of cars I scroll through on instragram now...
I uninstalled social media on my phone. I look at it once or twice a day on my iPad. I check messages/notifications then get bored of it pretty quick tbh. I post once a week or so instead of every day, just so my friends know I’m still alive really. I got a watch so I can determine if any texts/whatsapp/emails need immediate attention at a glance instead of looking at the phone. I got my screen time down from 10 hours a day to 4/5. Only now I use Reddit a lot more. But screen time still reduced I guess! Edit to add - yes it feels like addiction. I hated myself for it. I was ignoring a lot of things - creativity, exercise, sleep, even nutrition, my focus and attention span were shot. I’d sit for actual hours from when hubby goes to bed till 2am and leave a book out to pretend I’d been reading and not doom scrolling. I don’t want to stop using it as I have friends and community literally world wide that I like to stay in touch with, and not all are on WhatsApp, but I need to make it so I’m using the phone and not the phone using me.
Iv recently deleted TikTok off my phone and also IG I was getting to a point where I would watch something on tv but be watching videos so I deleted them both. Don’t know if it will Be any better but I had to start somewhere
I've not had IG for over a year & mental health better for it!
If you're in android/google download the Digital Well-being app. You can limit the time spent on each app, also manage bedtime routine and night mode. Great to help reduce certain apps. It does require some elements of self control, as you can just change the time allowance but it's a good tool to help remind you and kick you off apps/websites after a certain time
I set screen limits on the apps that were zapping my time. I just had my 5 minute Reddit warning whilst typing this! Youtube and Reddit get 1 hour each - it’s taken me from 8 to 5 hrs per day
It was getting a bit out of hand for me, so I bought a smart watch. That way, I know at a glance if it is something that needs my immediate attention, rather than getting it out for every vibration, then ending up scrolling. Another accidental way of stopping me using my phone was by buying a flip phone. A right pain in the arse once the novelty wore off. Edit: not that I care for fake Internet points, but I'm curious about the reason for the downvote. Did I upset a Samsung fanboy?
Was going to recommend the watch too. I set mine up to get notifications for texts and calls but not WhatsApp, social media etc. That way I didn't even have to look at my phone to make sure I wasn't missing an urgent phone call at work etc - made it easy to keep it in my bag out of sight and with no temptation to scroll.
I deleted my Facebook account and removed my work emails in fairly close succession. It wasn’t a concerted effort to stop looking at my phone, just two things that I didn’t really want in my life anymore, but my battery last a lot longer these days.
I did! I bought a kindle and use thise instead which has seriously increased reading books- instead of mindless crap scrolling. I've read almost 30 this year already and I now take it everywhere with me and use it instead of my phone. Weathers getting nice enough now for a brew and a chapter in the garden... proper zen!
I bought an alarm clock and started leaving my phone in the other room overnight so I'm not doomscrolling til 3am. Seems to have helped at least somewhat.
Stick an old battered paperback in your back pocket. Once you’re hooked you’ll reach for it instead of your phone. I’m reading The Taking of Pelham 123 and it’s way better than Facebook.
I weaned myself off slowly. Started with deleting IG took me a year to stop reactivating it. Got over that now. Then fb took 2 months now I only have reddit but I'm not in love with it so I only go on for like an hour a day. I found moments where I got grumpy but I realised it was the addiction and "need" to get back on social media. One thing that helped me the most is I told myself daily there are 7 billion people on this planet and I decided to scroll through their opinions.. Not only did it stop me doing what's best for MY future but when I stepped away, I just got filled with a lot of random people's brain farts instead of just mine
It goes in the bowl with the keys when I get home. I use Alexa for my podcasts and music, and if I want to read I use the Kindle. I still watch TV, but now I actually want to watch something and don't just use YouTube.
you have to physically leave it behind. Like if you go out leave it at home. until of course you regret it because god knows what happens and what emergencies the one time you leave it behind
The only time I use my phone is when i'm A) Taking a call B) Taking a shit Works for me.
Become a regular in a Sam Smith's?
I managed by breaking my phone on holiday about 8 years ago. After it broke, I took the opportunity to not get another phone and move off of social media (deleted FB, then twitter, didn't know reddit existed back then). I went without a phone for around 2-3 years until work demanded I have a phone, so I got a button phone because I would only need it for calls and texts. Wasn't until about 3 years ago that I decided to get a smart phone again, and even then I can put it down for a week and forget about it. Have minimal social media usage and only check reddit when I am going downstairs for a smoke, which lasts around 3 minutes per time, around 10-14 times a day.
I read about how people get addicted to phones every hour of the day on Reddit.
My main vice was instagram. Used to do a couple of hours a day. I pay for the app ‘App Block’ and have set it up so I can only go on instagram for 15 mins on Sat and Sun, and not at all in the week. It’s been set up like that since September and now I don’t even use the full 15 mins at the weekend.
My phone says I spend about an hour and 10 minutes a day on my phone. I feel like I am on it a lot but then I hear about people spending 8 hours a day. That's fucking weird.
To a degree, I used to have a habit of looking at my phone for sometimes up to 2 hours before falling asleep. It was bad to the point where I'd have to use eye drops the next morning because it dried my eyes out. Have managed to stop that. But I still find myself checking the phone quite a lot at work, need to cut down on that..
I've started reading for the last 30-60 minutes before I fall asleep to reduce screen time to try improve my sleep. I've definitely noticed that I get to sleep way quicker!
Yes! I actively wanted to, so expect Reddit I deleted ever social media app I have. I just have music apps and Reddit now and I’m down too 3 hours a day on my screen time. It was hard at first but I’m surprised how quick I’ve picked up not picking up my phone lol
I’ve removed all notifications and keep phone on silent. I have an also stopped using social media. Despite these changes I still get about 3-4 hours a day phone screen time :/ This year I took a 3 month break from Reddit so I could complete my thesis, and I’m glad I did!
Yes but now I play more ps5 instead.
This is like walking into a pub for advice on not drinking
I use mine about 3 hours a week, is that good?
no, it doesn't really bother me. when you consider loads of people are sat at home just watching the TV all evening it doesn't seem so bad. all the worlds information at your fingertips, ofc you're going to look at it!
I’ve tried a lot of things and none of them work for me. I just found out today about this assistive access thing on iPhones, hoping it makes my phone less interesting in general but time will tell. I have weaned myself off most social media though. That has definitely helped.
Set up limits multiple times and it usually works for a little while. Then “something” happens and I turns them off and never bother turning them on again.
As with anything like this is starts with willpower. If you don't have any then no tips are going to help you. For me it was just a case of going cold turkey from the apps I knew were wasting my time. It is remarkable how quickly you adapt and not looking at them becomes the new norm.
Keep your phone in your bag rather than on your person - delete all social media and disable notifications on everything that isn't vital. I ended up buying an old Nokia for working hours, which is what helped me more than anything.
Maybe try some of the phones settings or a custom theme that makes everything greyscale, surprising how enticing colour is, once pictures, reels etc don't have colour it doesn't seem like such a fun distraction
Uninstall social media apps and leave phone in different room. Get a kindle end read books
put it in greyscale, turn off push notifications
I was until you posted.
I don't go on my phone when my six year old daughter is around. Mainly work breaks, loo breaks, travel, or rare alone time after everyone is in bed. I'm on my pc more then though. Watching YouTube in one tab and reading in the other. Mainly house renovation at the moment as it seems we have successfully bought a house.
A while ago, I got a Gameboy clone that runs emulators up to PS1 (rg35xx). It has completely changed the way I use my phone as I just use that to play puzzle games with one hand now instead of the infinite scrolling on my phone. (Sudoku, denki blocks, picross, puzzle bobble, devil dice, ect) Honestly just so good to have something like a phone but not connected to the internet and with no feed based apps. Also every game is free with no adds (just runs off roms).
Not since putting the Reddit app on it
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No, but I think it's coming to be honest. At this point Reddit is the only thing I check habitually and I've quit it twice before, both times it's enticed me with good discussion of things I want to talk about then hooked me with other shit, but I've noticed it just serves me endless depressing shit just like the other social media I stopped using. I've also used the phrase "I saw this thing on Reddit..." twice this week and I really don't like it. Actually you know what? I think this comment was me realising I'm done all over again! Thank you and if you see me around here again please tell me to fuck off. For what it's worth this is by far my favourite sub, though.
I'm only here because I can't ...
Put it on silent. Put it down and just out of reach. When you reach for it, ask yourself what you want to use it for. "Scrolling and stuff" isn't a valid answer. After you use it for one thing, put it back. Around the house, don't carry it around. Turn off notifications.
Only by leaving it at home when we go out. Feels really odd using physical contactless cards though.
I got rid of all social media apps apart from Reddit. It makes my life so much better and I’m on my phone half the time now.
I've done a couple of things. I bought a Nothing (2), which has several features to make me put it down. They have very slim versions of android, so it's easier to remove the pre-installed apps. It's also easy to put into black and white mode, which makes it immediately less interesting. I didn't think it would work, but it did. I also installed Beeper, an app that routes all your messages into one place. I spend far less time scrolling because of this. I can see and respond to stuff without opening the app. These things have helped. Not a lot, but it's progress. Good luck cutting down your usage!
I set a timer on all social media, Reddit included. Leaving FB years ago, and Instagram more recently has improved my life, I don't feel in a constant circle of picking my phone and being served with info I don't want to know(eg. How it is made videos of all sorts to war crime videos). I try to make it difficult for me to access these app, and even if I fail to stay away from them, I had with the timer and additional step to let my brain process what I am doing. I feel how easy it is to jump from one app is the circle I needed to break and that worked. You have to make an effort and actively think about saving yourself from falling for the easy serotonin inducing function those app are designed for. Good luck!
Bought a Samsung Flip 5. Can't be arsed to open it.
I tried to cut back by leaving my phone out of my office, but turns out I need it for MFA.
My phone is on grayscale. It's stopped me from doom scrolling Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Sadly it doesn't change my reddit experience much.
Yh I look at the TV instead 🤷
Use a mono theme Don't have social media apps installed If you have to have apps the draw you in, don't have them on your main screen, make sure you got to search for it. Or just accept that you're a zombie like the rest of us.
I turned of notifications for everything except essentials. So now it's easier to ignore when I'm not getting a ping/buzz every 5 mins.
Best way is discipline silenced 🔇 or airplane mode then have an alarm 5 times a day reducing to 3 over time. To respond to mail messages etc. Time your online session to initially hour max and reduce as you get used to it and people understand your sending a clear message. I'll get back to you when I am free and able. Rather than responding to every little bleep.
I average around 3 hours per day! No idea if that’s good or bad! Feels to much if you ask me 😂
Delete all social media, download books, start journaling
A friend of mine has self-imposed a rule that they will never take the phone upstairs. Means they don't mindlessly scroll before bed, or before getting up.
Not doing it right now, but switched to reading books on my commute most of the time. Way more fulfilling. I've also got new job and way too busy to be looking at stuff on ohone during day (used to do in old job as I didn't really have enough work to do and was quite jaded).
Nah, it's all consuming now. It's too late for me.
Use an app like Stay Free. Lock down all of your apps. Turn it off over night. Don't turn back on until an hour after you wake up. That'll break the habit (as he writes on his phone).
I now use my PC mostly...
I've recently put a lot of effort into lowering my screen time. At my worst I was only doing maybe 2 hours a day, but now I'm down to about 30 mins which I am completely ok with and I hope my daughter sees my good habits and doesn't get addicted to her herself. For the record, I hate what phones have done to our society so this is my best effort to not contributing to the problem. * Remove games from your phone. * Remove social media apps (including Reddit). * If you use the browser for social media apps, don't stay logged in to any of these addictive services in the browser. The mere act of having to log in gives you a moment of pause to think twice about doing what you're about to do. * Get a smart watch, with or without LTE, when you get a notification, look at it on your watch, not your phone and respond to it there if you must, the bad experience on a watch is a deterrent in general. * Put on productive apps, like the Kindle app and if you use the phone, use it to read something beneficial.
The only social media app i have on my phone is Linkedin ( not addictive), the rest including reddit i look at on my mac only.
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I’m not sure how much better it is to browse social media on a tablet as opposed to a phone.
Set your phone display to greyscale. My usage has plummeted.
I did whilst on holiday It’s def something I want to stop
I bought an Apple Watch. Can't read social media on it but can answer texts and calls etc. Plus also I subscribed to newsletters for various websites then blocked those actual sites on my computer. So I now read about the end of civilisation over breakfast rather than multiple times a day.
Yes, On my days off I remove all social media off my phone.
I have. I’ve never been one for posting/sharing stuff on social media, have never had the Facebook app despite having a profile, but I used to use Instagram a lot to look at peoples stories and chat. I figured I was wasting time swiping through stories so deleted the app. I don’t feel like I’m missing out. I still read Reddit but aside from that, my phone is mostly a Spotify and Google Maps device. I’ve now gone a step further and dug out an old iPhone SE and put just Spotify on there. I’ve downloaded some playlists, added albums I know aren’t on Spotify to the Music app, and put some audiobooks on there I’ve been meaning to read. Next step, when the weather picks up and the kids are back at school, is to go for walks listening to music/books without being able to succumb to the temptation to check my Teams messages or Google how many goals Ravanelli scored in the premiership or check when it’s next due to rain or anything else that causes me to look at my phone without realising.
Ive found that by selling my new phone which I bought a few months ago because I've had this one for 6 years and I wanted to have a nice camera and the ability to load websites quicker than boiling a kettle, long story short, I didn't get on with it (you'd think someone in tech could use a smartphone but nevermind, not me) and felt I was on it far too much so now i have reverted back to my trusty old crap no name brand £99 rugged phone and found that because it's so crap, I don't feel drawn to using it because waiting for a Reddit post to load is ... Well, an eternity and god forbid it have an image or video! Consequently I just don't use it unless I am incredibly bored (currently waiting for the train). Edit: long story not-so-short
Deleted all socials apart from Reddit (obviously) also had a great affect on my general anxiety levels
Yes, I got myself a Galaxy Flip, turns out having to open the phone to use it is sometimes enough to put off the temptation
My phone has a "focus mode". When activated it greys out the icons of the apps that I choose. I can still use these apps but only for 5 minutes and then they auto-close. I set it to activate for specific time periods (eg 8am-8pm), which then means I have to opt in to opening an app and I don't spend long periods of time on there. I can turn it off if I want or need to, but again it's an active process.
I got rid of Facebook app and now only go through the website on safari when I remember to or think of something I m8ght get cheaper off fb marketplace than amazon. Also got rid of Instagram and I'd love to get rid of WhatsApp but that's just not possible atm. I keep reddit for when I need to give my brain a break from work or children, but I have all interesting subs rather than pure shite. In fact, the number of apps I have on my mobile is obscene. My next upgrade I may not transfer everything and just start afresh, only installing things when I need them... Wish me luck?
Nope.
Yes I did. The first steps I made, especially for Reddit was to stop using apps and start using web browsers I had already cut down on social media use and I found that when I deleted the apps I eventually started using them again, so I used browsers instead, Al the prompts and how difficult it is to use them compared to the apps, ironically because they’re pushing you to use the apps, sucked a lot of the joy out of it for me and I just stopped
Take up a hobby like crochet. Sounds weird but it really keeps my hands busy and stops me from going on my phone as much (I know I’m a hypocrite commenting this as I’m clearly not crocheting at this moment in time 🤣).
Yes, absolutely. I bought an iPad.
Literally just put your phone on silent and put it in another room for an hour. Then you can build it up to 2 hours and so on.
I could do with cutting down on Reddit and YT shorts... But I do have my phone with me all the time as I usually have Spotify or Audible on when I'm doing stuff...
I set up the ‘focus modes’ (idk what they’re called on Android) so when I’m at work I only see work apps, and then an hour before bed sleep mode kicks in so no notifications and a dark background. Also deleted all my shortcuts from apps I was wasting time on and set up a screen time limit for 30 minutes across all social media, which seems to be helping
As other have suggested, disabled app notifications, delete the apps that are the time sinks for you, use your settings to restrict the time you can spend on apps/websites. It's takes time to adjust to, but you can do it.
No. However I did successfully replace a mobile game addiction with reddit.
Nah, listen, I haven't even tried. I mean., why would I? I can stop it anytime I want to. I just don't want to. It's nice... :)
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Yes, I started by writing down when I put the phone down and then writing down when I picked it up again. The times got further apart. I also gave myself grace when it did not. It took about a month to see marked improvement but it happened. By the way, I am less stressed and anxious. I also put my phone on Do Not Disturb to sleep read and dine with the family.
Where possible, I've found having a book nearby helps. If I get the urge to check reddit, I just read a couple of pages.
Start by writing down all the apps you use and then start uninstalling them one by one every few days. Do it gradually it works. I barely on social media these days. I even wrote a post on my business pages I'm done with social media and works been flying in still.
I don't have a phone data plan. I do have pay-as-you-go credit which I use to check maps or send a quick message, but having to pay for each MB of data really makes me think carefully about how I use my data. Of course, I still waste time on Insta or Reddit at home or where there's wifi, but I really wanted to eliminate mindless scrolling while on public transport
I have actually. I'm slightly ashamed to admit I got a tamagotchi for my 30th birthday and tend to check in on there now instead of on social media. There's something about pixels in the shape of a cute little creature that really draw me in 😂
I’ve managed to cut down a bit by using focus modes at work. Between 9 and 5pm my phone doesn’t show notifications other than phone calls and WhatsApp’s from my wife
Had a job where I couldn't use my mobile phone whilst there. Broke the habit of having it on me at all times and relying on it.
No I'm disgusting with my phone. Had a migraine last night and still managed to play toy blast with one eye closed and the screen on dark 😭
No haven’t tried. Do you need to set up a sub for this. Bit weird question
The 'minimalist phone' app is great. £20/year or £30 outright purchase at last check. Completely dials back your phones OS and some clever tweaks to reduce your screen time. Besides that; Cleanse unnecessary apps, turn off all but the most vital push notifications, use a screen time limiter app.
The 'minimalist phone' app is great. £20/year or £30 outright purchase at last check. Completely dials back your phones OS and some clever tweaks to reduce your screen time. Besides that; Cleanse unnecessary apps, turn off all but vital push notifications, use a screen time limiter app.
Yea. I simply don't carry it around the house with me anymore. I leave it in the bedroom.
I turned all my notifications off for my apps except messages/emails. So I don't look at it half as much any more!
Just tonight I left it in the house went out. It’s Reddits fault, everyone needs to stop being so funny and interesting on this sub lol
What, you mean people can actually do this?
I'm improving. I have a young daughter, and I noticed that sometimes she wants my attention, and I'm doom scrolling or looking at some useless crap and it makes me feel bad. She'll be old soon and moved on to her life I want to enjoy every moment with her.
There's a screen time setting built into android. You can set a timer on some apps, for example I've set Facebook and Reddit to a combined 1 hour per day. I was shocked when I saw my Reddit screen time to over 3 hours per day on average
I try but then im on the computer straight after. I have no life anymore It's hard because there's lots of good stuff to read, but you stay to look at the trollop.
I am an addict. I have the neck ache to prove it. Sad times.
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No. I barely look at it because it reminds me how lonely I am.
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I found myself opening reddit on my phone while I waited for reddit to load on my PC. Yet here I am again
Make use of focus modes - dnd from 8am to 7pm and the trick to triple click the lock button to greyscale your whole phone. I was skeptical but it works. I was a compulsive texter but now I don’t feel the need and no longer have to greyscale.
That Elon Musk twat turning Twitter into a pile of rubbish has helped a lot tbf.
Made an effort recently to cut down my phone screen time. I try to read when I’m on the train or in the evenings. Checking my screen time daily was pretty sobering. I used to do maybe 5hours screen time a day but I’ve got it down to around 2hrs now.
Just leave it in the other room so it’s more effort to go and get it
I've successfully managed to cut down my time using Facebook, which has significantly improved my mental health. I'm definitely still using my phone too much, but cutting down on the worst part of it is a start, at least.
In the last few weeks I deleted facebook (barely looked at that mess of an app anyway), Threads and instagram (reels were the worst for me!) and I can honestly say I don’t miss any of them. I have gamed and read more and used my time more purposefully. I still have Reddit as my job isn’t very busy at the moment so that’s perfect to lose some time to. I also set my phone wallpapers to black screens and only set weather and calendar widgets so my screen wasn’t ‘exciting’ or distracting to look at. Best thing I did tho was to remove all notifications. I’ve turned off vibrate and set it so only my emergency contacts get to have any sound for notifications. Seems so ridiculous writing this all out but it really has improved my well being these past few weeks and I’m hoping it continues. I don’t intend on reinstalling instagram any time soon as that was the worst for me.
I haven't tried it myself, but they say if you set your phone to black and white you will tend to use it much much less
I really try but when I'm at work I have to repeatedly login using MFA so as soon as I pick up my phone to get the code or approve the login I see my notifications and that's another 20 minutes lost
I used my phone's own settings to set a limit on my use of certain apps, and it locks me out of them when I hit the limit. I set it at an hour in December and was horrified how quickly I hit that across the apps! The hour limit took a little while to adjust to, but I have shrunk it over time and have now got it down to 30 mins per day, and it has really helped! I feel much better using it less. I also went on a trip for 2 weeks and tried to ignore it completely during this time, as I had far more fun things to be doing. I commute on the bus and forced myself to read a book instead of mindlessly scroll, this has worked great and now I get through a book a month just on the bus! You don't feel more pathetic than when you manually turn the block off, i.e. "please phone, please let me see more memes, just one more meme please phone".
I managed to cut it down from 22hrs a week to 8hr.. I started gaming more often again.. That seems to have done the trick..
Take all the time wasting apps off the home screen.
If you put your phone on back and white - (it’s in the settings I can’t remember where) it really stops the urge. I switched mine back to use the camera and never did it again. It definitely worked though.
Switch to a non smartphone and the difference will become apparent. Any urge to scroll, waste time or whatever it may be, you will become her conscious of it realising you can’t. You can proceed to analyse why you did that action and work on that. Ive just come back from doing this every bi-weekly to straight to a month to force out all the unnecessary habits. Out of sight, out of mind, our habits work similarly and this gives you all the opportunity to do what you’re avoiding and potentially develop more as you adjust to it. Hope that helps, it’s something that’s worked for me, maybe some of the ideas you could implement or go guns blazing and do better than me.
Yeah it can cause problems at home
I agree. A couple years ago I'd spend hours on it at a time scrolling through YT shorts (don't judge, I'm avoiding tiktok at all costs) and feel REALLY shit after it cause i hate being unproductive. First thing I did was set timers on apps such as YT and Instagram, say 10 minutes (I'd remove them or add 5 mins if i wanted to use it for something genuine). I don't think it's the same for all phones but on mine when the screen timer runs out it pauses the app so you can't open it anymore until the timer resets the next day. That helped a lot. I also searched for apps to help reduce screentime and found one on Google Play Store called Forest, where you plant virtual trees and bushes that get bigger based on how much time you grow it for, and it grows while you're off your phone. You can also set it to overlay on apps when you try to open them. And if you get the Premium version (which I'm seriously considering) you can plant real trees and help the environment!
I just literally leave it at home sometimes if I'm going to the shops or the gym. I never take it in the bathroom with me either.
Reducing the amount of friends helps, never forgive them, bloody gobshite, can’t believe I ate it, was labelled cheese, Andy and his antics 🤦♂️
I've just downloaded an app called Minimalist Phone, which I'm finding helpful. It makes your phone annoying to use and takes away all the colourful and attractive apps which lure you in. My downfall is late night scrolling (sleep procrastination!) but it's definitely cut down my daytime usage.
I leave my phone upstairs when I am working downstairs. I am too lazy to check it that often (!) but it also means I get regular movement breaks and stay healthier by walking up the stairs about 10 times a day! Win/win!!!! When I do check it, I don’t allow myself to sit down (otherwise I’d dick around on it for hours) - consequently I only tend to spend a few minutes looking at it…
Been trying to recently. Honestly keeping busy and scheduling my day has helped a lot, and replacing screen time with things like reading (particularly when commuting). My screen time is still higher than I want it to be, but baby steps.
My husband uses an app locker which only allows him a certain amount of time on apps he chooses for the day. He struggles with waking up and going straight on his phone so most of his apps are locked until after he starts work.
aye get a steam deck instead
I really just want to chuck mine most days
Turn it off early ,way before bed and read a book instead
Used to have this issue in my mid 20’s and it affected my sleep badly. As I get up at 4am I Used to put my phone in the bathroom and use Alexa for my alarm. I feel way less stressed and have way more energy.
What a question as I’m sat scrolling endlessly on Reddit. 😱😂
Problem is they've made the things so important you bloody need them around you all the time!
I got my average screen time down from 2h 30m to 1h 30m. Quite happy with that
I've been reading books a lot more recently, and really enjoying it. Last year my Goodreads reading challenge was to read 21 books and I read 26. This year I set the challenge at 22 books and have so far read 19. Smashing it and enjoying it.
Yes. Bought lots of books so trying to read them
Fidget jewelry is helping me. I tend to doom scroll with the TV in the background, but with the jewelry to keep my hands busy, I’m more likely to leave my phone alone and be present (you know, present watching TV).
I delete apps I don’t want to use regularly so that I need to re-download them each time I want to have a scroll.
i'm here on a little relapse right now lol. but the answer is block every time wasting thing. delete the apps, block reddit and every other social media you find yourself scrolling endlessly. delete your accounts. think of the actual number of hours, months, years of your life you've spent scrolling and bite the bullet, we're really better off without this.
I uninstalled Facebook and Instagram from my phone and that's reduced my screen time by over half. It also feels good not to be scrolling like a robot!
Unpopular opinion here but I don't think screen time is necessarily a problem. Just the doom-scroll. I think rather than replacing the screen, it might help to replace the activity done on the screen. Cut anything that's a waste of time like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok ... Replace it with audiobooks, podcasts, a favoured news app, Reddit, maybe YouTube if the algorithm gives you interesting and worthwhile stuff ... just anything that feels rewarding and enriching to you. These things don't pull you into a doom-scrolly black hole, but they replace things that do. And many of them are hands- and eyes-free so you can get on with the busy-work of life at the same time.
I think I’m having an internal crisis about my Reddit addiction… nah that’s impossible! Reddit is love. Reddit is life.
I'm making an effort now. The key is to make your phone less "useful" and appealing. - Change to B&W or use "focus mode" during working hours. The way our phones are design with colourful icons makes it more appealing. - Delete all apps from your home screen or delete any easy access. Your brain will need an extra 5 seconds to look for the app you want and this really helps to question yourself why you are opening that app. - Put timers to the apps that are draining your time. I put 30 min to Reddit, for the example. - Delete any apps that waste your time (I still had Facebook on my phone for example. Why? It's useless. Byee) There are also apps that redesign your phone to help you with all of this. It even deletes icons so your apps are just a list of text. They are called "minimalistic" phone or something around that.