Reducing phone usage to under 30 minutes a day
I decided to reduce my phone usage time to under 30 minutes a day. I found no inhibition in relation to the progress of my research and work, nor a negative impact on my interpersonal relationships with my friends and family. Our handheld devices have led to an unhealthy, excessive, and compulsive nature to infinitely scroll through addictive, algorithmically driven content optimized personally for us.
I strongly believe in personal resolve and actively practicing mindfulness leads to healthy behavioral change. In book 2, chapter 4 of Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle states:
""" It is well said, then, that it is by doing just acts that the just man is produced, and by doing temperate acts the temperate man; without doing these no one would have even a prospect of becoming good."""
Thus, by taking action to limit screen time and being present in the moment, it has allowed me to focus on parts of my life that are truly important to me.
It is morbid to discuss our finite reality, but wasting what precious little time we have staring at a 6-inch block to get the next short dopamine hit is not how our lives were meant to be. I have been working on fighting back against this through building free, open-source applications that prohibit social media usage.
This is not a play on morality or a judgement; I would strongly recommend sending your friends a message to meet for lunch, or if you are fortunate enough, give your grandmother a call. You will become whole and feel much better for it.
Evidence of phone screen time:
