The coming of smartphones has increased the time I spent on the screen exponentially. I remember many years ago that the phone I was using was just to make calls and play some now obsolete games like snake and building games.
The other thing that took my attention to the screen then was watching movies on TV. I grew up in an area where power was grossly unstable. As a result, watching movies or news on the TV was something that happened once in a blue moon.
However, everything changed when I started using smartphones. Chatting on social media contributes to what takes up my time on the screen. Most of the things that happened physically that I derived joy from were replicated on the phone. I started with playing indoor games like ludo, whot, scrabble on the phone instead of playing them with friends and family like I used to do. Phone became my all-round source of entertainment. All these are accompanied with reasonable time spent on the screen.
My introduction to web3 peaked my activities on screen. It was at this point that I saw it necessary to regulate my time on screen.
With the nature of my offline work, I have a limited time to spend on my phone during the weekdays. Once I am in the office, the only contact that I can have with my phone is to make use of it to make or receive calls when necessary. Secondly, I consult it or the official PC when doing research about some problems.
The time that I have for my phone during the weekdays is in the evening when I return home. Once I return around 4 pm, I can be on my phone till it is time for bed. The only thing that shortly divert my attention is eating or making use of the bathroom. But on weekends, I have a field day on my phone. I realized how uncontrolled time spent on the screen could be damaging to one's system in many ways. It strains the eyes and could keep someone off from doing some necessary offline activities.
I devise some means to be in total control of my time on the screen and off the screen.
One thing that I did that is working for me like magic is planning my activities by drawing the timetable of my daily activities. I have the time to sleep, rest, meditate and take a walk. I prioritize my activities. As a result, I only make use of my phone when it becomes a priority for me to do so.
Another tip that works for me is reverting back to my leisure activities before smartphones take over. Like I mentioned earlier, I love playing indoor games. I try as much as possible to play physically with my loved ones instead of playing on my device.
Whatever I do on the phone that I have an alternative off screen, I go for that alternative.
Irrespective of how long I spend on the screen at a particular time, there is always a signal when my activities are getting too much for my system. Once I notice such signs as straining of the eyes, fatigue and dizziness, I go off screen immediately. This has helped me to put my system in order while I make use of my phone for productive activities.
