How to Reduce Screen Time in the Digital Age: 3 Effective Tips

March 21, 2024 By Janne Smith No Comments 5 minutes

The rise of social media and the pandemic’s bliss of accelerated content consumption leads to an ever-risen question of how to reduce screen time. And the internet is flooded with tips, expert opinions, and whatnot; let’s not forget we’re on the same bandwagon.

According to Comparitech, an average US citizen spends 7 hours and 4 minutes of screen time per day. And, with a rapid increase in content generation, it only speculates catalyzed screen times in the future. However, there’s a list of tips to rescue, such as using FastestVPN.

We understand that sounds new to the ears, but here’s how it works. A VPN reduces screen time by preventing targeted ads. And once there’s a halt to these ads, not everything sticks to your taste, and you don’t unintentionally scroll through the feed.

But that’s not it; the list stretches quite a bit longer than this. This article offers a walkthrough of what excessive screen time can lead to and ways to reduce screen time.

Note: None of your information is safe online, and it’s best to use a reliable VPN to ensure that no information leaks. We recommend you to use FastestVPN.

Is 7 Hours of Screen Time Too Much?

Although there’s no specific number of hours for us to quote “too much screen time,” but generally, anything above 6 hours of screen time per day can be too much. This exposes you to a higher risk of depression – but that’s primarily for adults.

Too much screen time for toddlers usually leads to delayed communication and speaking abilities. Conclusively, higher screen time exposes individuals – kids and adults- to alarming health risks.

Intuitively, limiting social media can lead to the thought of resulting FOMO. However, according to a study by the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, cutting out social media results in the opposite.

Recapitulating the results, here’s the overall conclusion: Participants who restricted their use of social media for 3 weeks demonstrated considerable gains in lowering their symptoms of despair and loneliness.

A reduction in anxiety and FOMO was seen in both groups, suggesting that self-monitoring can be beneficial for mental health. Jumping back to the 7-hours of screen time, yes, that’s way more than normal. And, over the failure to take adequate steps, you should expect the negatives of high screen time to fall right your way.

What Happens if You Spend Too Much Time on Your Screen?

While most people already look for ways to reduce screen time, others only need to realize that their health has significantly dropped due to high screen time. For all the headaches you’ve been blaming caffeine addiction for, it’s your gadget to blame.

Before jumping to the conclusion of “how to reduce screen time,” here’s the majority of what happens when you spend too much time on your screen:

1. Shoulder and Neck Pain

Whether it’s kids or adults, most individuals get into that slouchy position when using their smartphones. Meanwhile, Tech Neck is already attracting immense attraction.

2. Irregular Sleep Patterns

With many people dealing with irregular sleep patterns, it has to be increased screen time that results in these patterns. It can either be spending hours watching reels or watching Mukbang. While it all may initially look fun, you might need to brace up for irregular speed patterns in the long run.

3. Screen Addiction

It’s merely been 2 decades, yet the smartphone’s immense impact is undeniable. This doesn’t directly refer to kids but adults as well. Where these pocket gadgets serve entertainment purposes, they unconsciously become addictive.

How Do I Reduce Digital Screen Time?

Wondering “how to reduce screen time?” Here are the 5 ways for reducing screen time:

1. Use a VPN

While a VPN isn’t a generalized method of reducing digital screen time, it might be the best option. For example, using FastestVPN for social media gives you the digital freedom you might have long wanted.

Once connected, your IP gets spoofed, and you can browse the web without location limitations. This way, you get to escape the targeted ads too. All those IG reel recommendations and specified posts you were once targeted for don’t come your way.

With that, you don’t spend hours scrolling through the reels and increase your digital screen time.

2. Disable Messages and Other Notifications

When you leave an application, you get targeted messages and notifications that aim to attract your attention. This can either be text mail subscriptions or social media notifications finding their way into disrupting your schedule.

At specified periods, disable these notifications and keep your phone aside. Meanwhile, we recommend you engage in other activities that don’t require a digital presence for reducing screen time.

3. Keep the Phone Outside the Bedroom

Cell phones can be addictive, especially when you can’t sleep and find your smartphone to be your best friend. That said, it’s best to keep your smartphone outside the bedroom and refrain from using it before bedtime for reducing screen time.

Wrapping Up

Reducing screen time isn’t only about joining the digitally-healthy bandwagon, but it’s more about your own health. We recommend using FastestVPN to escape through targeted advertisements and unconscious scrolling that direct ads trap you in.

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