SCS32-W4 || Real-Life Problem Solving Challenge: Reduce Mobile Addiction

Phone addiction is everywhere in our society today, at home, in the market, churches, on roads, and public transport. It's literally all around us.

This is my story of self-discovery: how I realized I was addicted to my device and what helped me to adjust. What helped me might be different from yours, but I hope my experience helps you find a balance to your phone and physical activities.👇🏾

How many hours do you use your mobile, and which application is used the most?

I can't really tell how many hours I spend on screen time, but I will say it's quite lot of time. Though it's not constant everyday, but on a schedule. Sometimes I use past the scheduled time because of how interesting, or important the work I'm handling is.

The application I use most everyday is WatsApp. My daily connections happens there.

What are the reasons why you use your mobile phone so much?

My engagements on WhatsApp takes up a whole lot of my time, and it is mostly in the night. I chat with family and friends and I'm in a couple of groups too. Out of all the groups I'm in, two are active every day, and I usually engage in them, though not always.

Another reason is Facebook. I love going through posts, and I get unwillingly stuck on Reels. The way Facebook management arranges them makes every video interesting. Done watching one, next pops up. I'll say in my mind, "I'll stop after this one," but before I realized, I've watch 5 more. Facebook users can really testify to this subtle arrangement😂 That really influence my screen time.

My engagements on Steemit platform also take much of my screen time on a daily basis, and it's worth my time. I have always had a passion for writing, and with Steemit in my my life now, I write everyday. It helps me improve my writing skills. I draft in my notebook App, and then arrange my content in Steemit text editor page. Most time it takes me about 3 hours to complete a post.

I also work with Scuba Platform on their ongoing project of translating English words into Efik/Ibibio languages. Some days I spend 3 hours on it, so that I would meet up with their weekly requirement. It's worth my screen time because I get rewards every week for delivered work😌

So at the end of it all, most of my phone time goes to work, that comes with rewards.

Share three physical activities that take you away from screen time

• My spiritual activities

I have the Bible and others scripture-based books on my phone but in most cases I love using hardcopy to read and study the Bible.

I spend a lot of time in evangelism too, 3 days every week, alongside my Christian brothers. We go door to door witnessing and Bible study. This particular activity keeps me away from social media/online for hours, this helps me use my hours for something more productive than spending my time and at the end of the day, no reasonable achievement.

• Nature/sightseeing

Some days, when I get tire staying inside, I go outside to feel the fresh breeze and also see nature around me that brighten my mood. I don't get tired of seeing green environment; trees, flowers, and grass. The sky and animals are not left out too.

• Games

I love to play physical Ludo and Whot cards. I mostly play with my Mom and siblings. Sometimes we play paper games or oral games like: "Truth or Dare" and others.

What benefits did you see when you reduced your screen time?

I used to be addicted to screen time until my phone spoil beyond repair. I was shattered. I missed my admission because of that. Instead of overthinking, I took advantage of the times I was without phone. I lost hope on getting a new phone soon and I didn't even have a steady source of income, making it very hard to bear. What Started as a month ended in the 9th month when I was gifted a phone by someone special.

I engaged myself in something productive. Those months without a phone turned out to be beneficial. Even now that I have a phone, I still manage my screen time and balance it with my spiritual needs and other offline activities. It's was indeed a blessing for me.

What advice would you give to others to avoid excessive screen time and reduce mobile phone use?

From my experiences, you will see that I don't condemn screen time. I work and earn with my phone. The main problem here is mobile addiction. Here is my advice on how to balance your screen time:

• Switch screen time with physical activities like, reading, writing, sightseeing and games. It works for me, it will surely work for you as well if you really want to reduce your time spent on phone.

• Practice time management in your daily activities. This will help you keep boundaries on screen time and discipline yourself to keep to your schedule time and this will help you reduce your screen time.

Don't let phone control you, instead be the Boss. It's easy to say than done, but with discipline and determination you can break the cycle of phone addiction.

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I place my invite to: @pandora2010 @ahsansharif @archie25 @sahmie to participate in this contest

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All photos on this post are mine

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Cc: @ahsansharif

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