[FML2006]

How on earth do I fix my screen time addiction? My usage of electronics is horrendous. Almost everyday, I barely go a minute with some sort of electronic. I use my phone the most, and when I'm not on my phone I'm on my computer or playing video games. And even when on those, I will probably be on my phone too! I also have online classes, which incurs MORE screen time. And I have horrible self control/attention span, so I don't even pay 100% attention in class. I'll usually have other tabs open on my computer and mess around with them or will be, once again, on my phone 😭And when I lay down (usually around 10pm-12am) I spend time on my phone for 2-4 hours. So, I go to bed really late. When I wake up, I also spend time scrolling on my phone. It's horrible.

I am attached to my screen. My dopamine is so screwed. I can't seem to find joy or be able to focus on anything that doesn't involve being on an electronic of some sort. And when I'm on technology, it's almost never something that's actually educational or recreational. Just brainrot and random entertainment.The only time I do well without technology is when I'm socializing with friends and acquaintances, but I barely do that because I'm homeschooled, have no extra curriculars, homebody parents, and my brother doesn't want to take me places most of the time. So I'm stuck at home 24/7. Sometimes I do things with my family, very rarely, but that winds up being board/card games or watching something. In which case, I also usually end up being on my phone throughout the ordeal *sigh*
It's disgusting that I basically live my life behind a screen. I haven't cultivated anything in my life for the past 3 years. And I already struggle with questioning my worth and intelligence, it just sucks. And speaking of intelligence, I've heard being on screens too much can have a severe impact on your brain function. Memory issues, focus.concentration issues, logical processing and reasoning, etc. On r/nosurfers, I've also seen many posts about how detoxing the internet and technology was a night and day difference for some people when it came to their brain and ability to function. And many people were naming symptoms they had when using excessive screen time that I've been experiencing here lately.

I have already noticed in the past year my memory, attention span, and ability to spell has really degraded. In the last 3 years, which 3 years ago I started spending more time online and started online schooling, my overall ability to think has seemed to go down. I believe it's a multitude of factors that has caused this, not just screen time (anxiety/stress, staying up late/poor sleep for years, bad diet, not exercising, not socializing). And I'm trying to fix those, but it's all super hard. I'm just worried that my brain and life are already failing, and screen time is a big factor involved. Even if it's not, I still believe it'd be better to ditch my screen time addiction. But I just don't know how

[CANDC]

Hi @FML2006 - I hear you technology can be very addictive. It almost sounds like a support group might help. Let me see if I find one by googling.

There are a number of options and you may have to try a couple of them if you want to see which one is compatible with you. I searched under "computer screen addiction online suipport group"

Glad you joined this community.

CANDC

[If you want me to see your reply to this post please include @CANDC in your message - not in requoting my message and not the first word of your message]

[ReptileInYourHead]

Hey FML. You are not alone, there are millions of people suffering this same addiction.
Apps have exploited human psychology for profit, it’s disgusting, and it’s no wonder we fall for it, our brains are wired to receive these signals subconsciously.
So, it’s not your weakness that has caused it, you have been targeted.
As far as what to do..a support group could help as candc mentioned.
Or get some sort of restrictive app for your phone that someone else controls, and can moderate your phone behaviour according to agreed upon parameters.
Maybe get yourself an old flip phone and a commodore

[Tart Cherry Jam]

Originally Posted by ReptileInYourHead

Hey FML. You are not alone, there are millions of people suffering this same addiction.
Apps have exploited human psychology for profit, it’s disgusting, and it’s no wonder we fall for it, our brains are wired to receive these signals subconsciously.
So, it’s not your weakness that has caused it, you have been targeted.
As far as what to do..a support group could help as candc mentioned.
Or get some sort of restrictive app for your phone that someone else controls, and can moderate your phone behaviour according to agreed upon parameters.
Maybe get yourself an old flip phone and a commodore

I still remember them. In the 1980s.

[MuddyBoots]

What exactly do you usually do on your (phone, computer, etc.)? Could you delete accounts for stuff you deem detrimental, and set up a schedule where you do x hours of school work and make plans of doing non-screen activities--any kind of hobby you had or have or want to get into, or stuff you need to catch up on (cleaning, if you have any physical school supplies you can take advantage of those, exercising, etc.)--at other specific times of the day? Maybe look into some community activities or groups? (Our local library is always having stuff like movie days, board game clubs, intro to chess groups, and sometimes they even have a local musician come down and perform every now and then for example. It's great because it's free haha.) You can shut down your phone/computer/whatever for those hours and practice being mindful and focused on the current task, which I think when we are absorbed in a cycle of too much technology or any addiction or obsession we lose the ability to do that, and by regaining that ability to be present in the moment we lose the need to constantly be side tracked by [whatever you do with tech].

Maybe start by getting a physical notebook and a nice pen and writing in it for a set amount of time a day or find a nice route to walk nearby. The weather's getting nice here, and it's been great to just put some shoes on and head out for a bit and explore, see the squirrels coming out again, listen to the birds and such.


If anxiety, poor sleep, poor diet, lack of activity, etc. are only compounding the problem, you can use the extra time away from screens to work on those things too.

[Tart Cherry Jam]

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