Years ago, when you thought about too much screen time, you counted the amount of television you watched in a week.
But screen time means way more than that. It’s part of our entire day – tablets, laptops, mobile phones.
For many, screens are how they do their jobs, and it’s often a means for communicating and staying in touch with friends and family.
A lot of the research focuses on how too much screen time affects children, but it can really take a toll on adults too.
Excessive screen time can impact your sleep and cause eye strain. If you have to spend your 9-to-5 looking at a screen, think about cutting it down after work.
Here are a few tips on how to decrease your screen time:
- Don’t watch TV while you’re eating dinner – whether you have a spouse, kids or a roommate – spend meal time enjoying your food and catching up with others.
- Don’t scroll through your phone or iPad right before you go to sleep – the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute suggests creating a screen-free bedroom.
- Call or meet a friend in person rather than communicating via text, email or Facebook message.
- Get the entire family involved – use the Let’s Move screen time log to track how much time everyone spends in front of a device.
