
I Halved My Daily Screen Time of 7 Hours — Regaining Control Over My Life
By Tanyel Mustafa
Last Updated 7 January 2025, 14:20
“Me when I put my phone down,” says a meme, accompanied by a serene image of a figure illuminated by golden light, standing in a forest with open arms. This image resonates with me, as I can relate to it, and apparently so can 64,700 others who liked it. I prefer myself without my phone constantly in hand, yet I stumbled upon the post after mindlessly scrolling for 15 minutes immediately after a shower, still undressed. I can’t recall when this habit—checking my phone first thing—became ingrained.
The Struggle With Social Media
I’ve long tried to stay away from social media. My Facebook account was created by a friend seeking more likes on her posts. My Instagram started as a personal scrapbook but shifted to a public platform when friends found it. On a whim, I downloaded TikTok during an internship, despite successfully avoiding it for a year. I learned that after just viewing 260 videos, the app can become “addictive”—a fact that feels exaggerated until you find yourself scrolling past churning algorithms that seem to grasp your interests entirely, seducing you into habitual viewing.
The Emotional Toll of Scrolling
Scrolling has become tiresome, filled with a fluctuation of content that can range from gruesome true crime stories to comedic skits and pet videos, followed by troubling news about injustices. Such varied exposure prompts concern about desensitization and its impact on our collective psyche.
A Disconnect Between Enjoyment and Usage
You might think that I would enjoy using these apps based on the time I spend on them. My weekly screen time alerts reveal that I’m averaging just under seven hours daily, landing somewhere between Gen Z and millennial averages, which are over seven hours and six hours 42 minutes, respectively. While I find it daunting to consider completely quitting social media, it appears impractical for my work.
Recognizing the Need for Change
Psychologist Professor Alessandra Lemma states that problematic phone usage is evident when you find it difficult to control your online duration or feel discomfort from not checking it. Both statements resonate with me. Though social media provides a way to relieve stress, it often exacerbates feelings of anxiety instead. We tend to use our screens to avoid confronting the realities of our thoughts while waiting in line or for someone. Lemma emphasizes that this avoidance means missing key self-realizations. She challenges, “Is there anything in your life causing discontent that leads you to seek solace in your phone?”
Insights on Holiday Screen Time
I share with Lemma that my screen usage drops significantly—by about 40%—when I’m on holiday. She interprets this as indicative of a difference in how I feel in relaxed settings versus under work pressures. This suggests that the absence of ordinary interpersonal stresses allows for less reliance on the phone.
Understanding Offline Benefits
There’s a high regard for being offline—it’s seldom a goal to be online more often, and this perception only fuels our dependence on screens. If we can moderate our screen time, the need to disconnect would lessen. While I enjoy receiving likes and connecting through posts, I long to reduce the dependence on my phone for distraction during idle moments. I sought alternatives: reading, reflecting, or simply experiencing my thoughts. Thus began my six-week journey to cut back on screen time.
Initial Challenges in Reduction
Initially, my attempts to break away from the screen were frustrating. I questioned my scrolling habits—why engage in something that made me feel worse? I became conscious of every moment wasted on apps benefiting from my perpetual doomscrolling. Each time I felt discomfort or procrastination, I tried to resist the urge to reach for my phone. After days of denial, the impulse gradually diminished.
Implementing Limits on Social Media Use
I imposed limits on my social media use, capping it to 30 minutes a day. The swiftness with which that time elapsed amazed me, especially when I realized the volume of content consumed within just five minutes. It was an illuminating experience. With warnings reminding me of my limits, I began to make more thoughtful decisions on whether to exceed them, often finding the answer to be ‘no’. Whenever I did need to break the limit—whether to send a message or check a post—I felt justified in doing so. I embraced Instagram’s “close friends” feature, finding it enjoyable and minimizing my posting hesitation among a small audience. Subsequently, I deleted Hinge—a time-consuming app that yielded no substantial benefits. Gradually, I reclaimed those precious minutes and regained control over my phone use.
Finding Balance Between Mindlessness and Engagement
Though mindless scrolling does offer solace after long days, Lemma reassures me that as long as the content relaxes me, distraction can indeed be beneficial. Six weeks into my effort, even taking longer scrolling sessions now feels like a rewarding treat. I’m thrilled to report that my average screen time is now between three and a half and four and a half hours daily.
A Common Desire for Change in Screen Time
Statistics suggest that 40% of people wish to reduce their screen time, yet 27% doubt their ability to do so. This makes sense—scrolling is an individual habit, and while we control our fingers, no one will enforce a stop. It ultimately rests with us. Though I aspire to lower my screen time further, I’ve already noticed improvements: reading more books (I finished three over Christmas), better mood, punctual mornings, and a longer-lasting battery. My downtime ownership has increased. I no longer feel as guilty about choosing to scroll, and my perspective toward my phone has shifted positively. Social media doesn’t appear as detrimental; rather, it’s a behavior I can manage. Now, it’s time to spend a few minutes sending my friends adorable kitten videos.
How I Cut Down My Screen Time & Scrolling In 6 Weeks
Health
Written by Tanyel Mustafa
Photographed by Anna Jay.