01 Nov 2021
Overview
  • As long as you're not waiting for a call to pick someone up, turn off your dang phone notifications 📳
  • Increased screentime can be a scary thing - we don't know the detrimental effects, plus getting off your phone for a little while before bed will do you some good 🛌

There’s nothing worse than your olds telling you on a regular basis that you're glued to your phone. You'll roll your eyes as you continue to scroll through the endless social media feeds... I hate to say it but, maybe our olds have a point.

If some sort of apocalypse happens where all the phones in the world turn to dust, we'd all be screwed. I know, phones are so handy for maps, music, research... but it's time to stop checking back on facebook every few minutes, hoping to get a quick endorphin hit from being tagged in a meme. Here's how to stay off your phone.

1. Turn off your notifications (friends might be pissed)

Now, your friends may get pissed at you constantly for not replying to their messages instantly but if it's really urgent, they'll probably call... Turn off Facebook and Instagram notifications so you're not constantly checking your phone with every 'ding' you hear.

@trashytribute It’s because of you guys🪑 #samsung #bus #ringtone #adele #fyp #notification ♬ origineel geluid - trashytribute

I have the attention span of a goldfish so if I'm trying to get an assessment done, read a book or violin practice and I hear a ding, I get distracted and can't help but open the message and then find myself scrolling through Youtube finding obscure cat conspiracy videos... Get rid of the distraction and temptation.

2. Sleep with your phone on do not disturb

Again, phones are a bloody distraction. It's one thing distracting me during the day but it's another thing to wake me up from my well-deserved slumber. Sleep is important yo.

If you hate that you check your phone straight away in the morning, get a real alarm instead and start your morning routine without checking social media straight away.

3. Watch and limit your screen time

Some phones are able to give you a breakdown of how much time you spend on your phone and what you spend it on. Suss this out and then work out a daily limit for phone use.

If you're feeling pretty hardcore, there are apps that can lock your phone if you've hit your daily limit of phone usage.

@thesimp5onfamily Just speaking facts 🤣🤣 #relatable #phone #screentime ♬ Originalton - moritz

The average Australian spends 2.5 hours a day on their phone a day which adds up to 38 whole days a year... 38 whole days! You could write a film script or learn an instrument with all that time! 

4. Bring a book with you everywhere

When we're on the bus, waiting in line or sitting in the sun, we normally gravitate to our phones. The easy fix is bring a book with you everywhere (or a journal, sketchbook, magazine...) My point is, replace mindless social media scrolling with a good book and in a sea of people glued to their phone, you'll stand out reading actual words on an actual page. 

Let's be real, there's nothing better than a good book.

5. Don’t bloody check your phone when hangin' with friends and fam

Oh, don't you love when you say something to your mate but they're too busy buried in their phone to answer and you're left saying 'yeah, good chat'. Don't be that person. Be the person that is present in that very moment, listening and holding onto every word your mate says, actually caring about how your mum's day at work was, having real conversations.

If we have hours upon hours of screentime, we may as well be putting it to good use. DigiSkills (aka, digital skills) aren't just for IT professionals - whether you're looking to do a trade, work an office job or want to enter the world of tech, having digital knowledge can put yu ahead above your competition! Plus, how good would a $5k cash prize be, just by completing their modules? 🤑