how I reduced my screentime by 80% (guide)

The Nugget

To effectively reduce screen time by 80%, customize your existing smartphone into a ‘modern dumb phone’ that focuses on utility and minimizes distractions. By altering settings and deleting addictive apps, you can foster a healthier tech relationship.

Make it stick

🔒 Your phone should be a utility, not a source of distraction—set it up to work for you.
🌐 Utilizing extensions can make platforms like YouTube and Instagram less addictive by removing distracting features.
📆 Create a social media schedule rather than just setting time limits for healthier phone usage.
🛠️ Simple tools like Dumy (iOS) and O Launcher (Android) can transform your home screen to be less stimulating.

Delete Addictive Apps:
- Identify and remove apps that encourage compulsive checking (e.g., social media).
Turn Off Notifications:
- Disable all notifications except for critical communications (like messages).
Optimize Your Browser:
- Install apps like Social Focus on iOS and find similar options on Android to modify the way social media sites function.
Customize Home Screen:
- Use simpler app launchers (e.g., Dumy for iOS and O Launcher for Android) to present apps in a non-stimulating manner.
Create a Social Media Schedule:
- Block social media access outside designated times to minimize compulsive usage.

Improved Productivity: Reduces time wasted on apps, enhancing focus on important tasks.
Better Sleep Quality: Less screen time means better bedtime habits.
Enhanced Social Life: Reduces reliance on the phone, encouraging more face-to-face interactions.

Creating a tech setup that encourages productivity and limits distractions ties into principles from books like Atomic Habits.
Recognizing that many apps are designed to keep you engaged can motivate changes in setup to reclaim control over device usage.

"It's really important to set up your environment to make it work for you and not against you."
"If you find yourself spending way more time than you would like on your phone, it’s really not your fault."
"The main thing that tied this whole thing together for me and really killed my screen time was to create a schedule for social media."
"Once you set up these restrictions, you will not have to exercise your willpower or discipline anymore."
"Every force is working against us, so it’s become more important than ever to learn how to use technology for us and not against us."

This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.