We all have likely been guilty of picking up our phone for a quick scroll on social media, only to look at the clock and realize an hour has passed. That’s where practicing digital wellness can help us to be more mindful of how much time we are actually using our devices. Wallace Jackmon, PhD, a phycologist with Avera Behavioral Health offers tips on how you can set healthy boundaries when it comes to using your smartphone.
How can someone use their device mindfully?
When we are scrolling social media, or scrolling different websites, that’s something to just be mindful of how much time am I actually spending? In fact I will instruct some of my clients or friends or family to just track how much time we are using. You can also stop using your phone before bed and manage your notifications to avoid distractions.
What is the recommended amount of time you should use social media?
I believe it’s close to like 7 billion people are using smartphones now in the world, and about 50% of Americans are spending about five to six hours a day on their smart phone, which is far too much. There’s some physical health risks and mental health risks with overusing the phone so I think one of the first components is individuals have to be honest with themselves and determine if they are overusing their phone. Overall, one hour a day on social media is enough, and you shouldn’t exceed more than two hours.
What are some of the physical and mental health risks?
There’s a thing called tech neck, where chiropractors and orthopedists will tell you that you can put up to 60 pounds of pressure on your neck and cause more wrinkles and damage to the spine, cause headaches, migraines. Some of the mental health risks with overuse of smart phones, especially social media use, is anxiety, depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts, especially high with children and adolescents.
What are the benefits of using our devices mindfully?
We can lower stress, improve our sleep and even build stronger connections with others. We also know that when you put your phone down after looking at something, it can take you anywhere from a minute to three minutes to get back on track so to speak, to remember and get back to where you were before you picked up the phone. So that can decrease productivity for folks, whether that be school aged kids, college students, or adults at work.
