I'm going to take a wild guess here. You've stumbled upon this article after scrolling through some site, like Facebook or Twitter, for what feels like two to three minutes. Take a moment to look at the time. Has it been a little longer than that? Thought so.
Let me be the first to welcome you to the depths of cellular procrastination! We're glad you're here. You've successfully hop-scotched from one link to the next, and you have ended up reading yet another article by someone who thinks they know what's best for you. Isn't the internet fun?
Despite being thankful that you're here, it is quite concerning how much time we waste when we unlock our devices. A recent study conducted by GlobalWebIndex found that the average American spends about 1.72 hours on a social media sites every day. If we're not texting anyone, we're on Facebook or Instagram. Once we get bored with that, we go to Pinterest, or Spotify or our email. Then we move to Snapchat to check out the new filters and keep our streaks, until we think to ourselves that someone has to have texted us by now, and check our texts again. The cycle continues.
Don't worry though, because like everything in this life, there's an app for that.
1. Timewaste Timer
Timewaste Timer gives you a clear incentive to stay off of Facebook by charging you $1 for every hour you spend on Facebook. The process is simple: start by depositing $20 into your personal account, and try your hardest to keep as much money as possible by reducing your time on Facebook. Call it what you want, but these geniuses have found a way make money off your "daily lack of self-awareness." Unless you're ready to prove them wrong and keep your cash, of course.
2. Moment
If you don't have $20 dollars to spare, or simply don't respond well to negative reinforcement, the Moment app may be more what you're looking for. Whether you want to track how much you're using your phone on a daily basis, or get notifications when the app notices you spending a large amount of time looking at your screen, the Moment app is perfect for anyone looking to be a little more mindful with their attention. Looking to get your kids heads out of their phones as well? This app comes with a Family setting, where you can set parameters on other phones in your family as well.
DISCLAIMER: Odyssey and its affiliates are not responsible for any attack/injuries caused by disgruntled teens after the deactivation of their phone.
3. Offtime
If you're really looking for a digital detox, Offtime is a great way to squash any temptation to dwindle your day on your phone. It allows you to keep an "Offtime score," a great way to set and reach goals for liberating yourself from your devices. Restrict certain apps, observe your habits, and even set your device to certain modes tailored to life such as Work, Family, and even Me-Time. How cute is that?
4. Take a Five
If your problem goes beyond Smartphones and you often find yourself wasting time on the computer as well, Take a Five is here for you. They understand that sometimes, everyone needs a little internet binge. Take a Five allows you to set a timer for how long you want to "goof off" on distracting sites, and will 'self-destruct' the browser once the time is up. Don't worry, there will be no physical combustion. However, if you're that addicted, maybe exploding your computer isn't the worst idea in the world.
5. Flipd
Nothing else working? Get to the root of the problem with Flipd. This app (which is currently only available for Android, but projected to be available for IOS in the near future) replaces your traditional lock screen with a time-sensitive lock, allowing your phone to lock you out after your set allowance for yourself. It also comes with an Auto Response feature which allows you to respond to texts automatically with the phrase "I'm Flipd Off, I'll text you later," to avoid text bombardment. This may be the only time in your life you can flip someone off politely. Use it.
Whether it's a Twitter overload or a Facebook frenzy that has brought you here, I'm glad it did. Now go put down your phone and do better things with your time. I don't mind, really.
