My Plan for Screen Time – Woods Rasouli
Following section 4 of our “How Much is Too Much?” survey, many recent changes have been made on the weekly hours/schedule.
COVID-19 and a healthy lifestyle has never found common ground. Detrimental usage of technology plays a strong part in hindering that motivation. I have found that the best way to continue living the life we forgot we had is not through forcing unrealistic schedules, and rather through encouraging yourself to find positive opportunities. Creating an overly-specific schedule can make daily life feel like more of a job than real life.
The current issue at hand with overuse of screens is more to blame on motivation than lack of scheduling, though having a loosely fit timestamp for general activities can give that push needed. For example, the first summer of the pandemic was tough for me because of a drop in physical and mental exercise. Part of me wishes that I had created a tight schedule to keep my mind and body at work, while the other reminds me that even to this day following schedules is tougher for me than going with the flow. Finding that balance is key, how much scheduling is really needed to get a solid grip?
So, rather than forcing myself to be out of the house for a few hours every Wednesday, I would give myself daily and weekly time goals. These goals are made to encourage a self-given healthy lifestyle that doesn’t feel like a chore!
Beginning with my health, I’ve devised a time goal of about 7-8 hours each week. This could be an hour each day, or around two hours every other day. When I think of my health, I think of indoor and outdoor exercise, such as yoga or volleyball. It could also be as simple as getting up to stretch after a while of sitting down. Taking in the fresh air on a warm day with family or friends alongside a basketball is simple and athletic. Keeping my health in mind is scheduled for 168 hours a week, all day every day!
Education comes naturally being in school full-time, but outside of school, what kinds of things are used to keep in touch with our intelligence? Some ways to tap-in our minds are homework, online resources such as Khan Academy, and studying or completing work alongside friends. Homework does come off as a time-consuming chore, but the best thing about being at home is that you are completely free to listen to music or podcasts during it. I believe an hour a day, or 6-7 hours a week, should be spent catching up on daily work or focusing beyond what is required to do.
Platonic relationships are nothing less than a requirement for anyone. Shy, outgoing, introverted, extroverted; everyone needs a few good friends. Social bonds are found to be easily formed from young ages, and to become slowly more difficult to make anew as time goes on. That’s why keeping relationships strong during teenage years can be a useful investment for the future! Ways to keep in touch with peers and friends outside of school are as simple as walking somewhere after school (the mall, park, etc.), eating lunch together in or outside of school, and meeting anywhere on weekends. I found myself becoming less social since the beginning of COVID-19, so to keep my social level high but my sanity higher, I’ve set 4-5 hours a week for my friends.
Stopping Rules for School and Home
A stopping rule is what gets you off a device and ready for homework in a flash. It’s the morning rooster, the school bell, the bedtime notification, and so much more. People are progressively losing this natural ability to simply stop an activity, especially one as addicting as technology. Situations are different when using a device in class versus at home, which brings us to creating four unique stopping rules.
At school, a stopping rule can be as simple as keeping your phone in your backpack or locker during class. This is usually fool-proof, as it can be easily accessed if needed for a project but kept out of sight when focusing on another activity. On occasions such as in classes based on technology, such as digital literacy or business technology, our devices are constantly in front of us. That makes being on a device unavoidable, but one of the largest struggle-points is gaming. In these instances, an easy stopping rule for myself is to limit the number of tabs open at once. It can sway me away from opening a game, and encourage focus on the task at hand.
At home, stopping rules can be taken a step further. As it ties in to daily health, education, and social bonds, time can be focused on those rather than constantly on social media. Using social media can be an easy way to have contact with friends but overuse hinders your health. Many stopping rules can be thought of, such as timers or hourly periods, keeping busy with other activities, or using the screen time feature. I believe most phones have it, and I know mine does as well. Certain apps and games can be limited, keeping other useful ones unlocked to use. For the most part, I prefer to keep busy with other activities than timers.
These positive device and lifestyle habits should be a basic skill taught as early as elementary school. With technology ever-growing, we can only hope that responsibility and management follows. I will be sure to keep a close eye on my current time goals and learn more going forwards.