Gen Zer Who Averages 7+ Hours Of Screen Time A Day Says 'Boomers Were Right' — 'It's Time To Get Off That Phone'
"Getting off my phone wasn't easy, but the benefits have been more than worth it."
Dean Drobot | Shutterstock Gen Z is known for a lot of things, including always having their phones in their hands.
While many have simply accepted this as a part of Gen Z culture, one member of the generation suggested people start spending less time with their screens. They even went so far as to compliment boomers for urging others to put down their phones!
One Gen Zer is encouraging their peers to spend less time on their phones.
A member of Gen Z made a post about screen time and how cutting back on it has improved their life.
They admitted that they used to make excuses for their generation. “I used to laugh at those Boomer memes complaining about people being glued to their phones,” they wrote. “‘It’s just a different generation,’ I thought. ‘We use technology differently.’”
Despite the fact that they once believed that it was okay to use technology like smartphones more frequently because it’s what they grew up with, this Gen Zer has a different perspective now.
“But y’all, it’s time to wake up,” they said. “We use our phone way too much.”
The Gen Zer explained what they’ve done personally to implement healthier screen time habits in their own life.
“I averaged seven plus hours [of] screen time for years,” they stated. “It’s only now that I finally decided to make a change. I started with small changes, but over time it began to completely change my life for the better.”
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They briefly went over the benefits they have seen in their own life.
“I found myself with so much more time and energy,” they said. “My anxiety levels are at an all-time low because I don’t bombard myself with information and comparisons on social media. I don’t lose my train of thought as often anymore. There’s so much more.”
The Gen Zer shared their four 'best tips' with Reddit users to help them on their own journey to a life with less screen time.
“Start with your home screen,” they began. “It’s simple, but not enough people do this. Put the things you want to use (e-books, FaceTime, audiobooks, etc.) on your home screen, and hide social media far, far away.”
Their second tip was related to all-important DMs: “Pick two times to check your DMs. Set an alarm for those two times … then only check DMs at those times.”
Next, they said, “Turn on grayscale. Go into your phone settings and make everything black and white. Reels, TikTok, Shorts are ten times more boring without color.”
The final tip had to do with making social media harder to access. “Get a proper blocker app,” they said. “There’s a lot out there, but I use Superhappy … The goal is to find one that makes opening social media annoying, and also limits the amount of time you spend.”
There aren’t firm guidelines for how often adults should be exposed to screens.
Although we are used to hearing about screen time limits for kids, the same guidance does not exist for adults.
But, leaving adults to figure out screen time for themselves is not necessarily the smartest thing to do, according to one pediatrician who spoke to Health Magazine.
Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis of Seattle Children’s Hospital said, “The erroneous assumption is that adults can use screens responsibly on their own.”
Data Reportal stated that, in 2023, people between the ages of 16 and 64 averaged six hours and 37 minutes of screen time every day. That is over one-fourth of the day spent looking at a screen.
Health Magazine emphasized the importance of awareness of what kind of screen time you’re using, as some forms can be beneficial. Others, not so much.
One clear fact is that spending your time on a screen is not the most healthy thing to do. Like this Gen Zer, you can cut back on how much you’re on your phone to start making healthier choices for your life.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news and human interest topics.