Summary

The article provides strategies for managing screen time by using smartphones more mindfully, focusing on selective social media use, prioritizing verbal communication, customizing notifications, and engaging in less stimulating activities before bedtime.

Abstract

The author discusses the challenges of reducing screen time, particularly for activities that trigger dopamine release. They suggest a selective approach to social media, advocating for using platforms with intention and purpose, which can lead to abandoning those that do not align with one's goals. The article emphasizes the importance of direct communication through talking instead of texting to avoid information overload and maintain focus. It also recommends customizing notification settings to minimize distractions and promote undisturbed attention. The author promotes reading over using social media before sleep to improve sleep quality and overall mindfulness. By imposing healthy restrictions and leveraging one's laziness, the smartphone can be transformed from a distraction into a tool for mindfulness and present-moment awareness.

Opinions

The author believes that it's unnecessary to be active on all social media platforms unless it's required for professional reasons, as this can lead to unnecessary distractions.
They express that human nature includes a desire for attention, which social media can exploit, but this can be managed by using social media selectively.
The author values clear and comprehensive communication, noting that text messages, especially in group chats, can lack the depth and context of verbal conversations.
They suggest that laziness can be harnessed to avoid unnecessary interactions with one's phone, such as by not allowing notifications to appear on the lock screen.
The author is critical of the e-commerce industry's push notifications, which they feel can lead to impulsive spending and undermine financial well-being and minimalism.
They advocate for reading as a beneficial activity before sleep, contrasting it with the stimulating effects of social media, which can disrupt sleep patterns.
The author posits that mindfulness can be achieved through the intentional use of smartphones, transforming them into tools for mental well-being rather than sources of distraction.

If Avoiding Screen Time is Difficult, Do This Instead

How do you change the behaviour you developed in, say four years ( my college life )? You don’t have to change it forcefully. You can make it work for you!

My first smartphone in 2013 was not so “smart”. Today’s kids will never know about Nokia’s Symbian OS. Our early childhood love is dead!

While I still struggle with the dopamine surge when giving in to the screen time, these are the tricks that are helping me leverage the obstacle because if the pleasure hormone is releasing anyway, the source activity should be healthy enough to sustain in the long term.

Selective social media

As long I am not a social media manager for someone, there is no need for me to be active on all the platforms. I can’t waste too much attention which is already limited. Since your network also overlaps on all the social media platforms, sticking to only a few of them ensures more robust connectivity without popping intrusive notifications from multiple apps.

Maybe you should also consider this because the brain takes around 23 minutes to restore the concentration from distraction every time you lose focus. And that is what every social network wants: your attention. Services are secondary, but first, they have to show you what they’ve got.

If you are conscious enough about your priorities, you know what deserves your attention: it is your work, family and friends.

Although to share my blogs on all the platforms, I need social media. But that’s it. I use it for work. And if you don’t produce sharable content frequently, then avoiding social media altogether is difficult. Especially if you are an attention freak and “like react” is all you are craving. I did not intend to spite you. Human nature is to crave attention, and I am no exception! I unintentionally rhymed the last sentence. Sorry! 😂

Selective social media means using every platform for a specific purpose. While following this, you will realise which platform is not serving your goal, and you will quit it altogether. That’s how I stopped long incessant scrolling on Facebook and Twitter. Now I use them to share my blogs and build a community of learners.

Talking instead of texting

Since I started writing, I realised how communication is essential to anyone who engages with your work.

I try to be as comprehensive as possible because the same content can be perceived by different people in different ways if not explained correctly with a clear context.

The same level of dedication does not come in text messages, especially in groups chats. Man, there is a lot of casual spaghetti in group chats! I am not even talking about family groups. Too many forwards there also. You can’t forge gold from a coal mine of information overload in the family groups.

When you see 50+ notifications for a group, the best way to deal with them is to avoid them altogether. Mother of laziness is helping here!

Talking removes this barrier right away. All participants are in the present moment and having a lively discussion that leads somewhere without anyone ghosting (which happens in texting).

How notifications affect your attention span?

I don’t know about Android, but in iOS, you can customise how intrusive the notifications are.

I have set them such that no notification will pop up in my lock screen. Do you see that? To know even single information, I have to unlock my phone. That is an effort I am not willing to make. Let’s give the torch to laziness to work for me.

I don’t need Flipkart or Amazon to tell me about their sale. I already destroyed my finances because of online shopping, and now they want me to keep coming back just because I am a loyal customer? Sorry e-commerce! Minimalism has invaded my mind for the best.

Use mobile for reading at night, or anything that is less stimulating for the brain.

Using social media just before sleeping is what I have been trying to avoid. And like every new change, you can develop even a small habit to tackle this problem.

I experimented with abstaining social media 1 hour before bed, even my favourite one: Instagram. What do I get? Natural and undisturbed sleep for however long I want. I am lying, 7 hours rest is enough!

Final words

Avoiding screen time can be difficult, depending on how much your phone is helping you. But if it’s not, try keeping it in a different room while sleeping. Or keep it at a distance where it is difficult to reach out.

Use your laziness to work for you by imposing healthy restrictions. So far, I do nothing on my phone before sleeping except reading. Reading is food for your mind. Once you realise this, you will cut the fluff and start using your phone as a mindfulness device!

Mindfulness is not over-rated; it is just not prevalent that much. It requires patience to see outstanding results. And even your phone can help you attain mindfulness when done the right way! All the tips suggested above will help your brain bring back attention to the present moment. And when you are attentive, you become mindful.

This article belongs to a series of posts I am publishing in this 100-days streak. Navigate to the end of article 22, for the references from day 23 onwards. If you would like to read the ones before day 22, this is the first one that documents them in the end.

~ Sanjeev