"Dad, I'm ready to write that article on managing screen time," I announced in the car. "Good, good," my dad replied. A year or two ago, daddy had approached me and told me he would like me to write an article on screen time. Not because I am an expert at it, but because he wanted to know what my thoughts were on it. I told him I wanted to write one, but needed to think and pray about what in the world I would say.
Inspiration came from an unexpected place. A couple weeks ago, I replied to a blog-reader-turned-friend's pen-pal letter. She had asked if I had any tips for managing screen time. In a moment of inspiration, I wrote her a couple pages of thoughts (thank you Aubrey 😁) which I realized would be a helpful outline for a blog post.
Before I begin, I need to admit that this is not an area of my life that I have ever been necessarily good at. In fact, my mom once called it my biggest weakness. Priorities seem to fly out the window and time with it, when I get on the computer. Please get this straight: It is not because I am playing computer games or doing useless stuff. The tasks that I do on here are genuine, falling into the categories of:
1) Work (I am a photographer/videographer)
2) Education (includes research)
3) Correspondence (which isn't just arranging meetings / details with people, it also includes blogging and encouraging people, and sometimes sharing the gospel! Oh happy day!)
With these things alone, I could have enough to do online all day every day. So this is a difficult area of time to manage, especially since I also need to do school work, home work, and many other things that are not on the computer every day. The key is acting upon priorities, and that is admittedly difficult. So by no means am I writing this because I have got this all together. Many of you would probably be more qualified to write this article.
However, this is also an area of my life that, as I have prayed about it, I have seen a lot of God's grace in. Little by little, He has been revealing things to me, strengthening me, enabling me, and growing me in my priorities and computer time. There are still some days in which I do not act according to my priorities, and it saddens me, but by God's grace, I AM on the road to improvement, and much improvement has been made. I am more independent of the computer, by God's grace, than I have ever been since I learned to type when I was eight.
I am still learning and have a lot to learn myself. But I have noticed that when I do these things, it really helps me to manage my time:
1. Having A Starting Time
Of all the practical tips I have to share, this one has helped me the most. I once realized that if I delayed getting on the computer until, say, after lunch, I could never un-do that time and spend it on the computer. Getting on after lunch guarantees me that I have at least a whole morning to get higher priority things done.
As a rule of thumb, I try to only get on the computer after lunch unless I need to do something urgent. It helps so very very much.
2. Accomplishing Computer Items
I always keep a to-do list, and often write a computer screen icon next to the items that need to be done on the computer. Then I check them off as I go along. This way I have a clear idea of what needs to get accomplished on the computer. It helps me:
1) Know/remember all I need to do on there so I don't forget
2) Hinders me from getting distracted
3) Know when I am done. When it is all checked off, I can be satisfied that I got it all done and I don't need to do anything more. I can shut it down with contentment.
3. Skipping Computer Days
Going on a media fast every once in awhile for a day, a week, or a month, can be very helpful, especially in stepping back and evaluating my priorities and my addiction level to the screen. It is a very good teacher of how much I can really live without the screen, and it leaves more time for my relationships with God and with others.
For the past several years, I have taken every January off from the computer. I don't even allow myself to log in to check email, and for the most part, I don't even notice that it's not part of my life anymore.
This cannot always be doable, however, especially if you run a business. I have also found that I need to be careful how much time I take off based on how much work really needs to be done on there. A month is a long time, and work piles up. When I finally log in a month or so later, and there are a ton of messages that need to be replied to or tasks that must be finished, I can feel like I have to catch up, spend a couple days constantly on the computer, and get right back into the habit of spending too much time on the screen.
4. Making Friends With Paper (Writing it out before typing)
As a rule of thumb, if it requires a bit of thought, I write it out first. This saves me hours of screen time because I am not sitting in front of a screen trying to think of what to say. And I have also found that it is a lot harder to think deep, meaningful thoughts in front of a screen. I always think best in front of paper at least.
I used to think that this took more time, but after testing it, found that the opposite is true. I waste time by sitting in front of a screen trying to get my thoughts to work. Whenever I write on paper, the thoughts fly out, things get done, and I am happy. And typing really doesn't take that much time. I even doubt that it takes as much time as I waste by sitting in front of the screen trying to get my thoughts to work. Even if it did, I would still write it out first because my brain feels so much better when I do it.
Also, did you know that handwriting engages several more parts of your brain than typing does? You'll get smarter in the process!
5. Moving Friendships Off The Screen
Friendships take a lot of time, don't they? By moving friendships off screen, we can cut out a lot of time spent on there. While there are many advantages to online friendships, not all friendships have to be kept up on there. If I was a betting girl, I might bet that at least 50% of our friendships don't have to be carried out online.
Moving friendships off the internet is easy - just say "Hey, is it okay if I write you a letter in reply? You can still email me if you like, but I just prefer writing so I don't have to spend so much time on the screen." (You have my permission to copy + paste. 😁) Or you can just reply with a letter.
Also, instead of sending a big long email or text, maybe you can do a voice text or call while making dinner or doing the chores? I love using Marco Polo for this. 😁
Ask yourself, "What friendships do I have online? Are there any ones that I can possibly move off line?"
6. Making {Smart} Off-Screen Commitments
If I am committed for something, I am unable to spend that time on the computer. On the other hand, if I commit to something on the computer, I have to spend that time there. Smart commitments are greatly important.
A really smart commitment I made this year is reading to my siblings for an hour each night. It is a
win-win-win-win situation:
1) It's time committed to doing something off the computer, so I am guaranteed another hour off the screen.
2) It's precious quality time spent investing in my sibs! (Which is so necessary)
3) I am guaranteed a whole hour off the screen before bedtime, which I can tell makes it easier for me to fall asleep.
4) We have read some incredible books!! We just finished book #6 of the Baker Family Adventures series and WOW it is good!! This is my second time reading them and even I am biting my nails all day long wondering what is going to happen. I have never read a plot so thrilling and engaging, and I HAVE read The Hidden Hand, Ishmael, and Self-Raised. Just saying. 😁
I also think it is super important to always have a commitment to a certain passage I am memorizing or reviewing. I never ever don't have a passage I am working on. It is incredible how much can be memorized or reviewed with just a short amount of time per day!
For example, currently I am memorizing the second and third books of Psalms, reviewing Proverbs, studying Ephesians, and reading through the Bible in 6 months. I usually spend:
1) Half an hour studying Ephesians, writing out thoughts
2) About an hour memorizing Psalms and walking (1 verse per lap! 2 miles!)
3) About 45 minutes reading through the Bible, and
5) A random amount of time reviewing Proverbs... whenever I'm doing a manual chore and can conveniently listen to it at the same time I do that. 😁
These are all really smart commitments/investments of my time that keep me away from the screen. Since they are goals, and I like accomplishing goals, and I LOVE spending time in Scripture, I am self-motivated to meet them. This keeps me off the screen more, and is an investment into eternity.
7. Passwords, Timers, & Limits
I have a love/hate relationship with these. Our family has passwords for every device which only the owners know. Since for eight years of my life up until two days ago I didn't own any electronic devices, I always had to find the owner to get me into a device whenever I needed to use it. This can be really annoying, especially when I get up to get something and the computer times out in my absence. 😆
Timers, especially time timers can be helpful when learning discipline with anything and helping to measure time better in our minds. I find it especially works if I set the timer for myself. I like to set timers to remind myself to do two things:
1) To praise God when it goes off - sometimes it's hard to remember to do that when I'm on the computer!
2) To get up and walk around! It's amazing what this can do to help me to remember my priorities!
Limits... you can actually set the computer to turn off when you reach a certain limit. I really like this setting. It has been scientifically proven that you cannot un-do a habit, but you can override it by retraining your brain's pathway to respond differently to the same trigger. If the time you're spending on the computer is just out of hand, perhaps consider setting a time for when the computer will turn off whether you like it or not. 😁
8. Learning To Delete, Subscribe, Watch Later, And Speed Things Up
Don't ask me why I ever installed the Pinterest app on the phone, but I did once. I thought I had a good reason. A couple months later, after spending many hours on there collectively, God opened my eyes and I deleted the app. It's not like it wasn't helpful at all, but I didn't need it... it was a very low priority item that I was treating as a higher priority item - not necessarily in my head, but in my actions.
I am learning to just say "delete" when there is an app or tab that is just taking time and is of little priority.
Another helpful button is the "Watch Later" button on YouTube. Take a look at these screenshots to see how instead of watching every YouTube video that ever catches our attention because we will never see it again, we can instead save them to Watch Later and either watch them later or not:
Another thing there is some controversy about but I have utilized well to my advantage is SUBSCRIBING to things. Sometimes when on a hunt for information, I come across amazing resources. After awhile, these resources pile up! If I remember the URL address, I tend to frequent them, looking for more information. One time I realized that I had about 10+ websites that I would look up every day, searching for new information that they (hopefully) put out overnight. And it occurred to me that if I just subscribed to these websites instead, they would inform me of when they had new information for me to read, thereby saving me several minutes a day of vainly looking them up, hoping for something new. It really has worked.
And let me just put in a word for watching things on double speed! This also is controversial, but I am personally a big fan. A couple weeks ago, I got through a two-hour series on cognitive functions in one hour while editing some photos. "But you can't remember things as well!" you might say. That's why I used this illustration, because even though I watched it on double speed, I have absorbed the information well and have been able to understand, articulate, and share it.
Here is how to watch things on double speed on YouTube:
9. Replacing Certain Tabs With Books
"What websites do you visit the most often?" my dad asked me once. We did some research and found that some of my most frequented sites were biblegateway.com (and blueletterbible.com) and thesaurus.com. So my dad gave me a Strong's Concordance and a dictionary. I try to reference those instead of the websites whenever I'm writing articles or theological thoughts. (Which I try to do offline, if you will recall.)
Another INCREDIBLE time saver was to make myself a recipe book. I love to cook new things, so I was forever looking up new and exciting recipes on the internet... which took screen time. Recently, I printed off all the recipes I usually make or refer to, put them in page protectors, and put them in a three-ring binder. Occasionally I print off a new recipe and add it to the recipe book. Now, when I go to cook, I grab my binder instead of getting on the computer and it has saved me a lot of time and is a lot of fun!! I look forward to cooking even more! 😁
10. Learn Shortcuts
It took me 8 years of being on the computer before I finally learned that you can drag photos to add them to something instead of exporting/importing everything. It has saved me a lot of time and frustration. 😁
Daddy also taught me that Command plus Tab lets you switch between applications on a Mac.
BONUS: Keeping Our Minds On Christ While On A Screen
I'm pretty convinced that when I get on the computer, I lose my mind. I don't think like normal. In fact, it sometimes feels like I don't think at all until I get off!
Here are some things I do to remember Christ when I'm on there:
Sign up for emails with a biblical phrase. The first time I did that, I was surprised! I opened an email newsletter from some photography educators and read this:
"Hi peace through the blood of His cross!"
What is this?! I asked myself. "Oh, that's right! I signed up for this email newsletter as 'peace through the blood of His cross,' {Colossians 1:20} to remind myself of the gospel when I opened this email!" Since then I always take every opportunity to make automated emails call me a biblical phrase instead of my real name. I sign up for things as "rejoice in hope," "peace," etc., and have fun coming up with new sayings so when I open my emails, I am reminded of truth from God's Word.
The same thing can be done with passwords. I have friends who use Bible verses as passwords and change them periodically to help aid in review. You can also use a reference as a password and require yourself to quote the verse/passage before logging in. Or you can make a password out of a verse you're meditating on/memorizing by using the first letter of each word in the verse. That way, you have to quote the verse in order to remember the password. For example, John 1:1 - itbwtwatwwwg. Just be careful. 😉
Set the timer randomly and spend a couple minutes in prayer, thanking God when it goes off.
Whenever I am doing a task on the computer that does not require thought (like photo editing or copying text) I like to listen to Scripture or good books or podcasts... but mostly Scripture. Did you know that YouTube has the Bible on it? It's kind of obvious isn't it, but it took me awhile to figure that out! Just go to YouTube.com and type in whatever book of the Bible you want to listen to in your version, and it's bound to be there. I have been reviewing the book of Proverbs this way for awhile. An extra perk is the reader is often really good. 😁
Another great resource is hoopladigital.com. If you own a library card, you can find many great books on there for free, and many of them are audio books! I am steadily going through as many of the Ludy's books as I can on hoopladigital.com. Keep in mind that it is a secular site... I am not responsible for anything you might see on there! I always go into that website armed with the specific title of the book I want to listen to and type it in. I don't encourage searching through their recommended selection of books... it won't be pretty.
One of my favorite things is having a beautiful desktop background with a quote or Scripture on it. You can make your own at canva.com, or you can download some beautiful ones made by SetApartGirlMagazine here. I currently have the one that says, "My life is but a weaving between my God and me." I love it. 😁
I'll sign off with some thoughts about priorities and time.
Screens are tools. Like any tools, they are as good and useful as the owner makes them to be. A screen and a hammer alike are neither good nor bad by themselves, but are only good or bad depending on how they are used. It takes maturity to be a master of the screen. And wherever maturity is involved, do you know what else is necessary?
Prayer.
For a couple years, I battled with my relationship with the screen. There were seasons where I was in control, but generally the screen controlled me. I was so discouraged over this. I desperately wanted to overcome and win this fight. It was also a big insecurity, and when my family teased me about it, I would grow bitter and hurt inside because I wanted to win. I wanted to be master of the screen and use it to the glory of God. Instead, it took large chunks of invaluable time from me that I could have invested more wisely in things that would more efficiently have glorified God. I felt like I was in a vicious cycle.
However, when I learned what I learned that caused me to write the Folly's Nightmare post, so many things changed. I pleaded with God for an obedient ear, and He gave me the grace to start hearing and listening to instruction in my life. When this door is opened in someone's life, HUGE things can happen because God has not hidden wisdom from us - it is available if we will search diligently and will incline our ears. Honestly, I think that learning to listen to instruction has been the biggest key in helping me manage the computer. (Not to say that I have arrived yet though.) This is because I have wonderful people in my life who love me enough to tell me "Um... haven't you been on the computer for a long time?" "Hey Kina, get up and go for a walk!" "Can you please read me a book?" Sometimes I need to tell them "Yes, thank you for the reminder. I'll go on a walk in... about 20 minutes, but is it okay if I finish this email first? It's been on my to-do list for two weeks and this person has been waiting to hear from me about something that's getting more urgent as time goes on." (Communication that I heard, will obey, and have a request is so important!) I say this because I think we all have these people in our lives who will do these things for us whether we like it or not. And if we do not have these people, we have our consciences and God's Word. Learning to hear what these people (or our consciences or God's Word) tell us, listen to it, and obey it, is the key to wisdom in all areas of our life.
And if we need this kind of wisdom, this is what the Bible tells us to do:
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
(James 1:5)
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