The average daily volume of media content consumed by an American during 2022 (per Oberlo) was 494 minutes, or about 8.5 hours. So, given the time we spend sleeping, that means roughly half of our waking hours involve media consumption. It’s even harder when screen time is a large part of your typical workday. Each year, National Day of Unplugging is celebrated on the first Friday in March, and encourages people to step away from their digital devices and unplug for a 24 hour period. Let’s talk about ways we find ourselves stuck on screens, and how to unplug.
My iPhone indicates my own daily screen time averages about 6 hours and 46 minutes. That’s no surprise, since I use my phone for nearly everything, including:
- Listening to music
- Meditation apps
- Social media
- Texting and calling family / friends
- Taking photos
- Accessing Duolingo
- GPS support while driving
- As an alarm clock
Of course, there’s also my Apple watch … and my laptop for the office … and my personal laptop at home.
Because I work as a social media specialist, all this online time is both normal and necessary, since I need to keep up with best practices and the latest trends. But, is it healthy for me in the long run? Is all this time spent consuming media content healthy for any of us?
One benefit of my particular profession is that I have access to all manner of technology for actually reducing the time I interact with a screen. For example, I can automatically schedule social media content, and I don’t need to conduct a lengthy search to determine the most effective time of day for posting. Technology also makes it remarkably easy for me to locate media coverage of our clients and to find contact information for journalists. In other words, technology actually helps to reduce the time I must spend consuming and processing media.
There’s also lots to be said about how to enjoy workday breaks without involving your phone or laptop. On my breaks, I like to:
- Walk outside
- Read books
- Play pool (the office building in which we’re located has a terrific lounge area)
- Write poetry or new song lyrics
These are some of the fun things I do that help me avoid unnecessarily using my phone. I mean, it’s not always beneficial to be aimlessly scrolling through TikTok (although, I must admit, I really do enjoy TikTok).
So, on this National Unplugging Day, what’s one activity you could undertake that wouldn’t require use of your phone or laptop?
