Want to spend less time on your phone? Join KSL.com on a no-screens challenge

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

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SALT LAKE CITY — We all have busy lives and a lot to do, so where does the time go?

Before you answer that question, pick up your smartphone (Android or iPhone) and follow these instructions:

Tap on your “Settings” app.
Scroll down and click on “Battery.”
If you’re using an iPhone, you should see something that says “Battery Usage.” Click on the clock on the right-hand side. This will show you how much time you spend on each app on your phone within a 24-hour or 7-day period.
If you’re using an Android, the information may vary depending on the phone, but most Androids will show you how much time you’ve spent on each app since the last time you fully charged your phone.

So, how much of your busy day do you spend on your phone? If it’s more than you thought, you’re not alone.

I was shocked, at first, to find out how much time I had spent on Facebook in a 24-hour period. To be fair, I had just found a stand-up comedian I really liked and spent a couple hours watching his clips on the social media site. But while I don’t think there’s anything wrong with some harmless entertainment, there are a lot better things I could be doing with that time.

Luckily, I think my co-workers at KSL.com are inspired. The next day, they announced we’d all be participating in a 30-day “no screens” challenge for the month of June.

Now, given the nature of our jobs, going totally screen-free was impossible. So here are the rules we’ve set for ourselves. KSL.com cordially invites you to join us.

One hour of screen time per day (this includes TV, streaming services — unless it’s music, YouTube, video games etc. The only exception is watching a movie with loved ones and/or first dates.)
No aimless social media scrolling. Instead of going straight to social media when you have a free minute, find something else to do.
No playing games on phone apps.
Checking your email, bank account, etc., at home doesn’t count against you if it’s something you need to do.
In many ways, our phones are our most important tools, so if you need a calculator, flashlight, alarm clock, camera, etc., use your phone! Just note how often you use the tool and for what.
Texting and calling are allowed, as is anything related to work. Just try to avoid entertainment on your screen.

We’re not against technology, it’s the reason we get paid, but it is possible to spend too much time mindlessly scrolling through social media, playing online games or watching video after video on YouTube.

Soon after we started our challenge, President Russell M. Nelson, leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, challenged youths in the church to take a seven-day social media fast.

“Choose seven consecutive days and go for it. See if you notice any difference in how you feel and what you think, and even how you think, during those seven days,” the 93-year-old church president said.

As people spend more and more time on social media, many have begun to wonder what kind of effect it’s having on us.

“Do people connect in meaningful ways online? Or are they simply consuming trivial updates and polarizing memes at the expense of time with loved ones?” asked Facebook researchers David Ginsberg and Moira Burke in a blog post addressing the social media site’s effect on its users.

According to psychologist Sherry Turkle, our phones have redefined modern relationships and made us “alone together.” Psychologist Jean Twenge believes an increase in teen depression is linked to technology use.

Apple recently announced new controls that will help users be less addicted or reactive to their phones by expanding on the “Do Not Disturb” options and dimming the phone before bedtime. Users will also be able to block app notifications by not only the time of day but by location, as well as get frequent reports on how much time they’re spending on each app.

Ginsberg and Burke, however, believe it’s the way we use social media and our phones that affects us most.

According to one experiment at the University of Michigan, those who read Facebook for 10 minutes were in a worse mood at the end of the day than students assigned to post or talk to friends on Facebook.

“A study from UC San Diego and Yale found that people who clicked on about four times as many links as the average person, or who liked twice as many posts, reported worse mental health than average in a survey,” Ginsberg and Burke wrote in their blog post.

It seems that passive consuming of social media is what fosters comparison and, eventually, decreased mental health. Interacting with our friends on social media, however, can improve our mental well-being.

Choose seven consecutive days and go for it. See if you notice any difference in how you feel and what you think, and even how you think, during those seven days.

–LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson

Since I’ve started this challenge, I notice that I no longer mindlessly scroll when I get on Facebook. I get on, check my notifications, respond to comments or messages, then jump off. It keeps me connected to people I wouldn’t normally talk to, but I don’t waste too much time doing it.

Instead, I’ve had time to read, exercise and talk to family and friends over the phone or in person.

Some members of our team declined to participate in the challenge because they felt they didn’t spend enough time on their phones — so you’ll know what’s best for you.

But take a look at your day, your time and decide what you want to prioritize. If you want to spend less time staring at a screen, join (most of) the KSL.com team on our no-screens challenge!

What do you think of the challenge? Let us know in the comments below!