My Personal Manifesto: Technology Edition

I am personally challenged with the amount of time that I spend on my phone. I truly never used to be someone who would be on their phone for hours on end, however being in quarantine and general isolation has definitely switched this narrative. It seems that my screen time keeps getting higher and higher each week (per the screen time notification on my iPhone). In part, I think that this has to do with the fact that I am virtually communicating more people because of COVID-19. Facetime and regular texting have been the mode that I have connected with others during this time.

To overcome this challenge, I can set a time limit of the amount of time that I’m on my phone or certain apps. I recently discovered that you can actually set time limits on apps on the iPhone. Instagram is an app that I definitely spend a lot of time on, so recently I’ve been limiting myself to 30 minutes on the app per day. I have also deleted my social media at different points of COVID-19 just so that I would go on my phone less and read more.

In general, I am concerned about being on technology too much just because of my eyesight and posture. Once I graduate, my job will consist of being on a computer for 8 hours a day (sometimes more). This usage plus that of my phone adds up to quite a bit of technology usage during the day. I want to make sure that I’m getting fresh air and doing things other than staring at a screen. I think if I get into a solidified habit of working out, reading and doing other non-screen activities, I will be able to provide myself with the proper balance.