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Technology Time Warp

For the past year or so, I have grown more resistant and less eager to scroll through the laundry list of different apps that haunt my phone. I am definitely more aware and conservative with my screen time. Whether I am feeling bored, looking for something to do, or trying to pass the time, my brain immediately thinks it would be a good idea to unlock my phone and fall into the rabbit hole of information. In general, it seems impossible to unlock your phone without becoming distracted by the numerous notifications that take over your home and lock screen. Screen time has become such a normal activity, that we do not even realize the daily toll it takes on our psychological well-being.

In a research article published by the US National Library of Medicine, the association between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and young adults was examined. After collecting information from the parents of 44,734 children, researchers concluded that children who are higher users of screens are more likely to struggle with mental health. This could be anything from heightened anxiety, trouble dealing with emotions, lack of self-control, or having difficulties in social environments with friends. The results of this study did not shock me, because of how often I see young children with electronic devices. One of the most common places I see this is in restaurants. What I usually see is parents with multiple children and the youngest of the bunch has an iPad to keep them distracted at the table. Although I understand that parents use this as a method to keep a child calm and relaxed at the table, it is distracting to those sitting around them, especially if the iPad has volume on. Not only is that an issue, but the main problem is that children are getting even more access to screen time at dinner. 98% of homes with children 8 and under now own smart tablets. When I was growing up I can not imagine how different life would have been if I had access to a smart device. I spent practically my whole childhood outside chasing around my two older brothers. Our source of fun stemmed from our imagination and would turn into all of the kids in the neighborhood coming over to play our newly invented game.

There are easy ways to monitor screen time and with the introduction of Apple iOS 12, you can keep track of how much time you spend on apps just by going into your settings. In your settings you can review your weekly report, create a schedule for downtime and apps that you want to limit, as well as set up content and privacy restrictions. Another innovative way that you can keep track of online time and what websites you visit it, is by using a Google Chrome extension called "StayFocusd". StayFocusd was created to help increase productivity, by helping you stay off time consuming websites. The browser extension allows you to block any website for a period of time. I use StayFocusd religiously when I am typing essays, because I tend to find myself checking Facebook, email, and my Blackboard page. I block various websites for a window or two hours and in no time my essay is done. As the technological word continues to advance there is no way for us to shut off from the world completely. As long as families and individuals can create boundaries to limit screen time and use it responsibly, then we can still live a happy and healthy life.








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