Screen time

None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.

How this was put together

If you only read a few

Hide your phone in a drawer or under a pillow so you cannot see it.
Seeing the phone can trigger an urge to check it.
3 people, independently
- Leave your phone in a separate room, such as the pantry, to allow the urge to scroll to fade back into a simple need to fidget.1
Tell yourself you will do a task for just 5 minutes.
Five minutes is often too short to accomplish much, which may lead you to continue doing the task longer than planned.
one person who lived it
Turn your iPhone into a 'dumb phone' by deleting browsers and entertaining apps, disabling the app store, using grayscale, and reducing white point for low light at night.
One person reports cutting daily screen time in half (from 10-12 hours).
- One person's experience
one person who lived it
Identify and address the underlying emotional void or anxiety driving phone use.
Phones are often used to avoid discomfort, unpleasant experiences, or trauma.
- This may require professional counseling.
3 people, independently
Set your phone unlock password to be extremely long (e.g., 144 characters).
The high effort required to unlock the phone makes casual checking not worth it.
one person who lived it

phone, time, apps, set43

Remove or turn off apps that feel overly distracting or unneeded for long stretches.

Set a large timer, such as one hour, on your most-used doom-scrolling apps to receive cues when time is running out, then choose to put the phone away.
The reminders serve as a prompt to consciously decide to stop using the app.
2 people, independently
Only charge your phone at a specific location away from home, such as a gym.
This forces you to use the device sparingly until the battery dies.
one person who lived it
- Keep your phone on a low charge to force yourself to ration its usage.1
Perform a pre-scroll ritual before unlocking: breathe in for 4, hold for 2, and tap your leg twice to disrupt the reflex.
Disrupts the reflex.
one person who lived it
Start reading books to dampen the desire to scroll.
It takes effort but reduces the urge to scroll.
one person who lived it
- Replace phone scrolling with active hobbies like drawing or reading.1

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Pick up a hobby or learn something new to fill spare time.
If there is nothing else to do, you will pick up your phone again.
one person who lived it
Push through the first few days when your phone feels wrong without colors.
You will want the colors back initially.
one person who lived it
Give your phone to a trusted person, such as a sibling, to hold for a set period, such as a month, to enforce abstinence.
Having someone else control access to the device prevents immediate retrieval.
one person who lived it
- Set your phone aside and resolve to leave it alone for a period of time.6
Remove or turn off apps that feel overly distracting or unneeded for long stretches.
12 people, independently
- Delete distracting apps from your phone and access them only via a computer browser to add friction.2
- Disable notifications for social media and shopping apps.2
When you feel the urge to doomscroll, tell yourself to watch at least one interesting video on YouTube instead.
It allows you to engage with something interesting for a set time rather than mindlessly scrolling memes.
one person who lived it
Find a strong personal incentive or reason for stopping phone use to motivate behavioral change.
If the incentive is not enough, you will not stop; seeking a unique reason involves thinking and trying.
2 people, independently
Replace phone usage with real-life experiences like art, reading, and friends.
These are experiences humans were meant to have.
one person who lived it
Swap your smartphone for a basic 'burner brick' phone and read books to replace digital stimulation.
While it takes time to get used to, this change can be rewarding.
one person who lived it
Lock device restrictions with a code held by another person or set to expire far in the future to prevent disabling controls during urges.
The humiliation of asking for the code prevents breaking limits.
one person who lived it
Track the number of times you check your phone ('exits') rather than total hours to measure impulse frequency.
This reveals your real screen time by showing how many times you checked out instead of checked in.
one person who lived it
Use a phone case with an opaque cover to hide the screen and notifications.
It prevents visual triggers from drawing your attention by keeping you unaware of notifications until you open the cover.
one person who lived it
Seek out opportunities to get bored during menial tasks by avoiding earbuds and entertainment.
Allowing yourself to get bored is good for you.
one person who lived it
Redirect focus by engaging in offline activities like reading, drawing, or outdoor sports instead of screen time.
It is easier to get someone to start doing something else than to stop what they are currently doing.
one person who lived it
Allow users to slowly earn back lost money when they resume good habits to prevent quitting.
Losing too much money might cause someone to cancel; the ability to earn it back motivates harder work.
one person who lived it
Set big life goals to clarify how phone usage hinders your progress.
one person who lived it
Connect habit-tracking apps to screen time data to automate logging.
Manual logging is a pain.
one person who lived it
Take up demanding activities outside the house, like visiting bookstores, gyms, or practicing instruments, to substitute for screen usage.
Replacing screen time with another high-intensity pursuit is more effective than merely attempting to stop using devices.
3 people, independently
Delete games from your phone and purchase physical books instead of reading ebooks on the device.
Holding physical books feels better than using a phone.
one person who lived it
Reframe social media as a utility tool rather than entertainment, using it only when necessary.
There is better entertainment available elsewhere; treating social media like a hammer means you don't just hold it constantly.
one person who lived it
Go outside to stare into the distance or take walks without your phone.
3 people, independently
Physically remove the phone from immediate reach, such as tossing it across the room or closing it in a drawer, when working.
small annoyance barriers help keep focus, especially for those with ADHD
one person who lived it
Pause your social media accounts temporarily instead of uninstalling apps to avoid appearing rude to contacts who might text you.
Uninstalling apps leads to people texting you, which can make you look rude; pausing avoids this.
one person who lived it
Disable all push notifications except for phone calls and text messages.
Removing notifications reduces time spent on the phone.
one person who lived it
Find an accountability partner, such as a friend or digital partner, to help with motivation and passive systems.
Having someone else who cares about your goals helps with accountability.
one person who lived it
Do jigsaw puzzles to simulate the dopamine hits of scrolling while keeping your hands and mind active.
Fitting pieces simulates the dopamine hits from scrolling but keeps you focused.
one person who lived it
Ask yourself why you are opening an app before you do; if the answer is unclear, close it immediately.
Unintentional consumption often happens on autopilot when you cannot remember what you consumed.
one person who lived it
One approach: delete social media apps from your phone, access sites only on a laptop with a timer on specific days, and take multi-week hiatuses.
one person who lived it
- Log out of the Instagram app immediately after stopping use to place a barrier between yourself and the feed.1
Listen to podcasts or watch informative videos and documentaries instead of mindless scrolling so you learn something.
So you aren't losing anything there.
2 people, independently
Uninstall entertainment apps and keep your phone minimalistic, using it only for utilitarian tasks like messaging, emails, photos, and music.
It is relieving.
one person who lived it
Split devices by keeping work and scroll devices in separate rooms to enforce physical separation.
Physical separation is better than willpower.
one person who lived it
Bookmark the search page of video platforms instead of the homepage to avoid algorithmic recommendations.
Opening the main site activates the recommendation algorithm.
one person who lived it
Take care of basic needs—drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, eating, keeping up hygiene, and exercising—before all else.
one person who lived it
Reduce screen time drastically by checking devices only occasionally.
one person who lived it

Focus on reducing wasted or pointless screen time rather than total screen time.
Essentially all productive work involves screens, making it impossible to reduce total screen time.
one person who lived it
Treat every second of attention like money and choose to spend it only on things you find valuable.
one person who lived it