Understanding Screen Addiction: How to Regain Control in a Digital World.
Sometimes the best way to decipher our ailments or shortcomings is through fun. Like during a game of hide and seek when you realize that that is exactly how you are with your parents. Or a game of Kwepena when you realize you don’t jump as high as you used to. Or even a game of charades, when you realize that the person sent to represent the team is passionately describing you…even after they reveal that the card was a two-worded series called ‘The Boys’. You are then forced into a spiral of thoughts induced by the game (am I overbearing… am I vulgar…. Am I trying too hard.…), so for this very reason take the quiz, it will help center those thoughts.
Now, aside from the need to beat deadlines, there is this other aggressive urge to look at a screen, either to chill or to pass time. These ten questions will help determine the level of aggression you are at.
#1. How many hours a day do you look at your screen (phone, laptop, television)?
#2. Do you take measures to regulate your screen time?
#3. Can you live without your smartphone, and only with a burner phone for calls and to play the dope snake game?
#4. You are watching your favorite show or an interesting video pops up in your feed when you hear a knock. You:
#5. Do you eat while scrolling or watching?
#6. How many “screens” do you own?
#7. How often do you feel physical discomfort (eye strain, headaches or back pain) after using screens for an extended time period?
#8. Do you find yourself checking your phone frequently, for no reason at all?
#9. How often do you do non-screen related activities (walking, sports, sightseeing, reading a paper-filled book)?
#10. How comfortable are you with your current screen time
Results
SCORING:
MOSTLY A’S
You are living blindly, self-imposed blindness that is fueled by the need to look at a screen. You most probably are addicted to your screen and you need to open your eyes and see that. Screen exposure has adverse negative effects, from eye strain to poor quality sleep, to even anxiety, since you are constantly anxious to check your gadget for an update. One thing you need to do is accept that you have a problem and need to get rid of it. Once you have realized this, start taking small steps to curb the addiction as you involve yourself more and more in offline and off-screen experiences. For instance, instead of spending the weekend binge-watching movies, reading online books, and watching reel after reel, you should maybe consider an activity like cooking that requires your undivided attention or indulge in an arts and crafts project. You could also try a digital detox, which means going a day, a weekend, or a month without any ‘screen’ and instead engaging in face-to-face activities.
MOSTLY B’S
You are aware that sometimes you go out of control. You are also ready to change your ways and are already halfway there! Be more intentional, set those screen time alerts with the intention of stopping your usage once they go off. One thing that you may not realize is that screen addiction is like any other addiction, it makes you dependent. This dependence could eventually lead to loneliness, because of continuous isolation. Most of your waking hours are spent on your gadget and when you aren’t looking at a screen, you are thinking of one. Set a few more boundaries than the ones you already have and try taking more and more screen breaks. You could also have screen-free zones in your living space, a room(s) where you strictly do not look at a screen.
MOSTLY C’S
The Lord is your shepherd and you shall not want and may you not wander off the path of not wanting to always look at a screen. You have a healthy relationship with your screen time and are able to balance it with other activities. Keep on this path for your overall well-being!
Technology is understandably an integral part of our lives today, but we mustn’t let it govern us. Two things to ensure we have the upper hand; awareness and balance. In order for you to be able to take the necessary steps to change you must first realize that you have a screen addiction. Then you will be able to make the right adjustments to your lifestyle. Secondly, balance is what will make it possible for you to manage your digital habits. This balance is attained through breaks and setting time limits. So if you realize and act accordingly, your relationships, mind body and soul will be grateful.
