THE WHY

Phones are brilliant tools, but many of us have slipped into using them on autopilot. Hours of scrolling push aside conversation, rest, curiosity and the small moments that make a community feel like home.

If we all put our phones down a little more, the benefits begin to add up. Our nervous system gets a chance to settle and sleep improves when screens are not the last thing we see at night. We remember hobbies we have been meaning to try or reconnect with and projects we have wanted to start. We talk to people in our communities and get the satisfaction of spending unbroken time with the people we love. We can let our thoughts run a little longer instead of cutting them off with a quick hit of content (and what I'm learning is that the uninterrupted personal reflection is where growth can really start to blossom). In the same way you get more done when you're busy, shorter, intentional and focused phone sessions are usually more productive when compared to a day of drip feeding attention to our notifications. And when a question pops up, trying to nut it out with friends before turning to Google or ChatGPT can be surprisingly fun, and it helps keep our curiosity alive.

If we do not adjust our habits, the risks are hard to ignore. Personal algorithms can fence us into echo chambers, quietly widening the social divides we are increasingly seeing in the world around us. Work can follow us into every corner of life when email and chat live in our pockets, making real downtime rare. Short reels train the brain to expect constant stimulation, and attention spans shrink under that relentless pace. More children are starting school with weaker speech and language skills when conversation and play are replaced by screens. With dementia rates on the rise, healthy daily habits for attention, sleep and social connection matter more than ever. Finally, as AI becomes more capable, our privacy and data habits matter more than ever. None of this is a reason to fear technology, it is a reminder to use it on purpose.

If you are into the numbers, the picture is fairly clear.

When looking at all internet users globally, the average time spent on social media per user is 2 hours and 24 minutes each day. If you add that up, it is roughly a full waking day each week. What could an extra day of focus do for you?

Screen time starts early and scales quickly:

0 to 2 years: about 49 minutes per day
2 to 4 years: about 2.5 hours per day
5 to 8 years: about 3 hours per day
8 to 12 years: about 5 hours per day
13 to 19 years: about 7.5 hours per day
20 to 59 years: about 6.38 hours per day
60 plus: about 4.6 hours per day

We also check our phones a lot, about 80 times a day on average.

None of these figures are about guilt. They are about noticing where our minutes go so we can be more intentional with our most precious commodity: time.

If you are looking for a place to start, here are a few ideas:

Put your phone away, keep other screens off, let the chores wait and see what you naturally gravitate towards
Set routine 'Do Not Disturb' time and enjoy moments without distractions, maybe sit outside and watch the world around you? Sit with your thoughts?
Keep your phone away when you are with friends and be fully present in the conversation
Leave your phone in your bag or pocket when you are out and about. Make eye contact with someone in the community and try a friendly exchange
Turn your phone off an hour before sleep and spend some time journaling or reading a book
Batch your phone checks to a few times a day
Try a weekly phone off block. Sunday works well for many people. Could you last a whole day?
Leave your phone behind for short walks or errands
Have a conversation about something you might have searched for instead of reaching for a quick answer
Or host a fone free party

Small switches, big ripples. That is The Why.

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