The average person in the UK now spends three hours and 23 minutes using screens every single day, which adds up to 50 days every year. Screen usage is now a part of modern life, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be productive or a force for good when used correctly. Here are a few ways you can cut back on superfluous smartphone usage and make screen time better for you and your family.
Creativity over consumption
Smartphone usage is primarily rooted in the consumption of news and entertainment, which is not conducive to personal growth. To be more productive during your screen time, instead look to create. There are a huge number of apps on Google Play Store and Apple App store that can spark your creativity.
You could, for example, download a few coding apps to learn new skills and forge a new career in tech. These coding apps can build basic maths skills and improve your problem solving abilities. There are also music, video and photo apps that can be used as an outlet for your passions and make your pastimes more enjoyable.
Try to switch from endless clicking, scrolling and consumption and target more creation, production and publishing to make your time on smartphones and connected devices more fulfilling.
Use productivity apps
One quick way to boost productivity on smartphones is to download a productivity app. These are tailored for work based tasks and can be particularly useful if you are procrastinating on web browsers or watching too many videos during the day and need something to focus your energies towards. Productivity apps make it easier to perform day-to-day tasks such as sending emails, collaborating with fellow employees and completing to-do lists.
Build an investment portfolio
Limiting your screen time to tasks that will actually deliver some sort of added value or financial return is another great way to boost productivity. You can start investing today with just a small sum of money and you can build a portfolio and manage it via online websites, digital software and mobile apps.
Cryptocurrencies are particularly lucrative at the moment with the recent explosion in value of Bitcoin (BTC) and the emergence of more than 1,500 crypto-based coins. Making the right moves could net you a significant return, but you will need feature-rich auto trading software to make deposits and conduct trades.
Fortunately, you can analyse some of the best robo advisors available for bitcoin trading at www.top10bitcoinrobots.com/. Automated investments are a great option if you want to get into investing without the time and hassle associated with managing trades on a daily basis.
Set time limits
Improving the ratio between screen time and productive tasks will make you feel better about your smartphone usage and you will also get more done. On iPhone, Apple has a Screen Time app that breaks down screen time by app usage for each day. If you have been spending hours on social media, it may be a good idea to set a limit of 30 minutes a day for a particular app such as Twitter or Facebook.
App limits are a great way to cut back on usage on a daily and weekly basis. You will get notifications updating you on the time you have left to use an app and you can even block apps at specific times during the day. While many usage apps were originally intended to curb screen time for kids, they are equally useful for adults that need a little motivation to maximise screen time.
Set good habits
Children are spending much more time on screens than adults, around six hours a day according to recent data. Screen time is often associated with bad habits and it is easy for people young and old to get into routines that are not positive for mental and physical wellbeing.
You can combat this from an early age by making sure screens are only used for learning and education. There are a plethora of apps that are based around learning. Even Wikipedia, for example, can be used for a short time to help a child learn something about a particular event or period of history.
By associating screen time with learning and creativity, you can eliminate bad habits and make a connection between smartphones and personal growth. A few other ways you can be productive with screens include learning new languages, planning and booking an upcoming holiday, completing free and paid courses and writing a CV with a view to changing your career.
