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A guide to reduce screen time

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Re: A guide to reduce screen time

#31

Post by jajko »

Zambyte wrote: post #3

My cell phone lives in my sock drawer with the only exception being when I take it out for GPS. Otherwise, I have fully replaced my mobile computing with my Daylight Computer tablet. I feel like I have a much healthier relationship with this thing than I had with my cell phone. The lack of color and the lack of notifications has made my usage feel way more intentional. Before, I wanted to kick my habit of scrolling s…

The issue then wasn't phone specifically, but social media apps installed there. I have phone at home around on the desk (but then again not always sitting by it), but since having 0 social apps its just a tool for emails, calls, whatsapp, navigation etc. and I quickly check it maybe every 1-2h for new emails/calls and thats it.

I still check FB on desktop from time to time if somebody close doesn't have anything interesting, but that is 1-3 mins max. FB has a very hostile UI on desktop these days (Firefox and ublock origin) and a lot of bugs on their sites, so I quickly get disgusted and close it.

The best part is, it completely refreshes whole timeline with new stuff every few mins, so anything I was just reading just blips out of existence, never to be seen again. So even if I manage to stay 3 mins it literally kicks me out. Thanx FB.

Another issue with that social media (don't use any other, why ffs its all mind cancer) is being overflooded with fake AI generated bullshit posts full of half truths and outright lies. Normally via suggested groups, cesspool of scum. So I have no idea what friends actually do, and not missing it.

Re: A guide to reduce screen time

#32

Post by StefanBatory »

yunwal wrote: post #30
StefanBatory wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, which is I'm saying that's why you should listen to the poster above - to prove their point. Unless I wrote it in a confusing way, in which case I do apologise

“Been there, done that” usually implies that it didn’t work or that you’re repeating old, no longer useful information.

Ah, sorry then. I thought that idiom has different meaning, thank you for correcting me.

Re: A guide to reduce screen time

#33

Post by StefanBatory »

nullderef wrote: post #15
StefanBatory wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, exactly. I had no idea what to do with myself, and thus all I did was browsed Internet. I thought that getting rid of it will "fix" me (to be honest, I think I confused cause and effect). And so, I tried. But I had nothing to replace this with, and I didn't magically became a disciplined or productive person. And then I would go back to my bad habits, just feeling even stronger self-hatred.

How did you end up overcoming the problem?

I didn't, honestly. In the end, it was just a gradual step for me. I got more things to do, I became slightly more social, talked to more and more people, and it just happened. I still deal with it, just on a lesser scale where it's managable unless I have a bad day - in which case again I'll turn to screens for comfort. But it's rare.

Re: A guide to reduce screen time

#37

Post by scyzoryk_xyz »

hombre_fatal wrote: post #22
nullderef wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had issues with checking HN every too often. News overload is definitely a problem, too. It's also fun to go check the new posts sometimes.

Yeah I went to my comment history after writing that and clearly I'm full of crap.

Well, all of us are full of crap thinking that we can resolve our screen time problem by talking to people through this screen thing.

But hey, since I’m here, I’m gonna give it my shot at hypocrisy as well: something worth looking into is how to feel OK with yourself not reaching for the screen compulsively. On your own, with your thoughts

Re: A guide to reduce screen time

#38

Post by yamrzou »

codethief wrote: post #28

Which Android apps for limiting screen time does the HN crowd recommend? Is there one that doesn't sell your data or request network access? (Ideally of course the app would be open-source but I'm not getting my hopes up.) I've been wanting to try Digital Wellbeing but it looks like it's still not available for non-Google devices. Or at least it's shown as "not compatible" when accessing the Play Store from GrapheneO…

I recommend this one for Android: https://github.com/markusfisch/ScreenTime

It doesn't limit apps, it just displays your screen time in a permanent notification and allows you to view and export past statistics.

I've found that to be very effective. From a systems perspective, it amounts to adding a new feedback loop, similar to this leverage point described by Donella Meadows[1]:

There was this subdivision of identical houses, the story goes, except that for some reason the electric meter in some of the houses was installed in the basement and in others it was installed in the front hall, where the residents could see it constantly, going round faster or slower as they used more or less electricity. With no other change, with identical prices, electricity consumption was 30 percent lower in the houses where the meter was in the front hall.

We systems-heads love that story because it’s an example of a high leverage point in the information structure of the system. It’s not a parameter adjustment, not a strengthening or weakening of an existing loop. It’s a NEW LOOP, delivering feedback to a place where it wasn’t going before.

[1] Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System - https://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-t...

Re: A guide to reduce screen time

#39

Post by AStonesThrow »

Look, why should it be the individual consumer or their parents who regulate screen time when it’s not our fault?

Computers have become an unprecedented scourge and curse to our attention, our moods and our very souls, but radio, telephone, and TV led up to this.

It is time that the architects of consumer communications technology took responsibility for the utter grind and drain they’re causing us in every waking hour--literally--because these days, my smartphone knows exactly when I begin to stir in the morning and dumps a fresh deluge of pings before I can make it to the bathroom...

Re: A guide to reduce screen time

#40

Post by Gasp0de »

lotophage wrote: post #25
Gasp0de wrote: post #18

I already moved away from the reddit app, but now I have the problem that I can not set up time-based constraints that don't block the rest of the browser.

I've used NextDNS.io in the past and setup schedules to block the reddit domain during work hours. The problem that I found is that sometimes it's not just a place of procrastination but the place you want to search for a useful answer to your question.

I could live with not being able to access reddit from my private phone, I am not logged into my personal reddit account on my work PC.
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