Do you think your teenager spends too much time on his or her phone?
What about your own screen time? Do you spend too much time on your phone?
According to Pew Research, roughly half of U.S. parents believe they spend too much time on their devices (compared to only 38% of teenagers who believe they spend too much time on their own screens). But cutting back on screen time—for yourself and for your kids—can be pretty burdensome.
It’s a source of contention, with 4 in 10 parents and teens saying that the screen-time battle regularly leads to arguments. And honestly, sometimes it’s just hard: 43% of parents say managing their teenager’s screen time is difficult.
Many people use the new year as an opportunity to cut back on their screen time. Unfortunately, 23% of people who make New Year’s resolutions quit by the end of the first week in January. By the month’s end, that number nearly doubles.
Well, the end of January is upon us, which means that about half of those who committed to making (or breaking) new habits this year have already thrown in the towel.
To those who are still going strong in their resolutions, I commend you. And I really do hope you see it through to the end of the year.
But for the rest of us, how do we curb our bad screen-time habits?
It may not be as hard as you think.
Some folks may opt to go cold turkey. No phones, no tablets, no TV. Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany found that people who did this for one week did, in fact, spend less time on their phones daily (38 minutes) four months later.
However, that same research found that those who simply reduced their screen time by an hour per day for one week spent even less time on their phones four months later than the abstinence group did (45 minutes).
So when should you do this?
Well, you can start right now! Or, you know, once you finish reading this article (but I promise I won’t be offended if you put your phone down before you reach the end).
Or, if you’re someone who likes to have a set timeline and goals, you can also join the Plugged In staff on March 7 for our week-long Screen Fast. All week long, we’ll provide you with written materials suggesting activities to try in your new spare time, information on the benefits of taking a break from screens and even some short devotionals to help keep you motivated.
So join us—you can sign up at this link—and once the fast is over, let us know how it went. We’d love to hear what you did when you weren’t on your screens, how it affected your overall screen time and what your future plans are for keeping screen time down.
