There is a reason why I don’t have an iPhone. I am already quite addicted to my iPod touch, and that’s just when I have access to wifi.
When I zone out, I check things constantly: email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Taylor Swift’s Tumblr, Taylor Swift’s Twitter… If I find myself browsing the internet after 9pm I tend to circle through this rabbit hole for all of eternity because I have turned into an internet zombie and it is too late to turn back.
Don’t Let FOMO get the best of you
When I go offline at the weekends, I open up my browser on Sunday night and find that I’ve hardly missed anything.
When I turn off my push notifications, I expect to be bombarded with messages when I open up my apps at night, but I’ve hardly missed anything.
After a few rounds of such experiments I realise that my Fear of Missing Out is unfounded.
Set limits
At school I would take a fully charged laptop, but no charger. I could use my computer until it ran out of battery. Perks:
I didn’t have to carry around a charger. I cut down on screen time.
Have a bedtime for your electronics. Looking at screens before bed interferes with your sleep, so best to give your eyes plenty of time to adjust to the real world while you calm down for bed.
Fight zombies
Live in the moment. Don’t let yourself zone out or mindlessly scroll. Listen to your body, and recognise when your eyes are getting dry and tired. Apparently we don’t blink as much when we are on the computer either!
Take breaks from your screens. Don’t be a zombie.
Which of these tips would you like to use? How do you have a more sane relationship with the internet and technology?
