Addiction. That’s what many teenagers face when introduced to phones. HeadphonesAddict, a website devoted to articles for “music lovers, audiophiles, and headphone fans,” states that “the average teenager spends 7 hours and 22 minutes on his phone every day.” Many teenagers, including those at Great Neck South High, find themselves wasting so much time watching TikToks and playing video games on their phones. Ultimately, this prevents students from living their lives and focusing on the present. It also contributes to unhealthy lifestyles that can lead to long term effects such as physiological disorders.  Due to this reoccurring issue and its negative impacts, here are three ways to deal with a phone addiction. 

#1: Turn Screen Time On

Screen time is the amount of time spent on a device and is located in the settings as a purple icon with an hourglass on it for iPhone users. Simply press “Turn on Screen Time” and “This is My iPhone” to activate screen time. After that, all time you spend on your phone will be recorded and visible on the bar chart displayed, which can be divided into categories after pressing “See All Activity.” There are many options to explore, such as downtime and app limits that further decrease phone use. 

For Android users, select “Digital Well-being & parental controls” in the settings and then press “Dashboard.” Just like on the iPhone, a bar chart is displayed in accordance to the days of the week and time spent on the phone. 

Screen time allows you to develop habits toward a less electronic-dependent life. As you use your phone less and less, you have more time for other activities or obligations, such as doing homework or spending time with family. 

The data alone from screen time can help as well. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) states that the data from screen time can be used to set “soft limits with any given app or category of app.” Some examples of limits include using only an hour for Instagram or two hours for watching videos on Youtube. Also, using screen time guilt trips people into using their phones less. They see all the time they’ve been wasting and then decide that they need to change. 

Overall, using screen time helps people lessen their phone usage through time limits, by helping set time management goals, and leaving a trail of guilt. 

#2: Leave Your Phone Outside the Bedroom

Verywellhealth, a resource that provides health articles by professionals, states the effects of phone addiction which include fatigue, blurry vision, wrist pain, irritated eyes, an increased risk of developing depression, and worsened school performance. 

Talking specifically about school performance, being on your phone late at night instead of sleeping can negatively affect your sleeping schedule. “Without a good night’s sleep, you may notice that you are not able to think clearly or react as quickly during your training or game,” says the American Thoracic Society, a nonprofit organization that works to enhance worldwide health.This is why phones should be kept anywhere but the bedroom. 

Another reason is people spend most of their time in the bedroom. The New York Post, a daily newspaper in New York City, supports this statement, saying “the average American was revealed to spend 11 hours a day lying on their bed—that’s nearly half of our lifetime.” When people lay around in their bed, it indicates that they have time on their hands. Therefore, if they see their phone, they’re more likely to use their phone for a longer period of time in their bedroom than in any other area.

Out of sight, out of mind. By leaving your phone in the kitchen, living room, etc, there’s a lack of desire to constantly check for notifications or use it in general. 

#3: Get a Phone Jail

A Phone Jail looks like a jail cell, except it’s used to store your phone. It’s the perfect buy for people who truly cannot resist using their phone or want a quicker fix. 

Some allow for specific timer intervals, while others allow for up to 60 minutes of locking up your phone according to Odditymall, a blog dedicated to displaying gifts such as gizmos. 

There are many benefits of using a Phone Jail as it forces people to unplug from their phones. Time To Log Off, a website founded by an award-winning digital entrepreneur and dedicated to get others to use electronics healthfully, lists some of them, including decreased risk of depression, which is stimulated from social media and the desire to be perfect, and increased focusing because of fewer distractions from notifications.

By using these three methods, people can slowly get rid of their phone addictions and get back to their normal lives.