Adults Spend Nearly Two Decades Online. Here’s How To Cut Back.
By Movieguide® Contributor
Did you know the average person spends almost two decades of their life online?
A study from Data Reportal found that the “‘typical’ social media user now spends 2 hours and 23 minutes per day using social media.”
“These latest figures suggest that humanity will spend a combined total of 500 million years using social media in 2024,” they continued.
When you break the numbers down, this means that from ages 18 to 80, the average person will spend more than 17 years of their life online.
“The reality is that so much of our screen time these days is unavoidable,” Alex Turvy, a researcher at Tulane University, told Fortune. “Nonnegotiable parts of our work and social life necessarily happen on or via screens, and there’s real reasons that we might want to preserve some of our relaxation time on screens in a guilt-free way.”
The situation isn’t hopeless, though. Turvy shared some tips with people looking to cut back on their screen time, including setting realistic goals.
“Recognize that the dichotomy between screen time and non-screen time is becoming increasingly blurred,” he shared. “Integrating meaningful screen-free activities into daily routines rather than strictly separating the two can be helpful.”
This can mean using your phone to listen to a podcast or audiobook but doing so while taking a walk.
Turvy also recommended engaging with content that is “enriching and purposeful, which can lead to more fulfilling and less wasteful screen time usage.”
“Focus on using technology to support your values rather than detract from them,” he concluded. “This approach encourages intentional use of screens, ensuring that digital engagement enhances rather than eclipses real-life experiences.”
Other studies have looked at how parents’ screen time can affect the way their kids interact with screens.
“We know that when screens are in use — either by a parent or a child — there is less talking, teaching and reading in households — and this may be a reason for the lower grammar skills and vocabulary,” Dr. Jenny Radesky, co-medical director of the American Academy of Pediatrics Center of Excellence on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, told CNN.
Movieguide® previously reported on the importance of parents cutting back on their screen time:
A new study has found that parental screen use impacts child screen time.
The study, conducted by Pediatric Research, examined the effects of screen time use of 10,048 adolescents over a three-year period. The results found that “Parent screen use, family mealtime screen use, and bedroom screen use were associated with greater adolescent screen time and problematic social media, video game, and mobile phone use. Parental use of screens to control behavior (e.g., as a reward or punishment) was associated with higher screen time and greater problematic video game use.”
A similar study reiterated “When a parent uses a digital device in the presence of a child, the nature and quality of the parent-child interaction are impacted. In fact, interactions are frequently interrupted when parents use screen technology.”
“One of the biggest predictors of adolescents’ screen use is their parents’ screen use,” Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician at the University of California San Francisco, told the Washington Post. “It’s especially important that parents follow their own rules and practice what they preach, because even if they think their kids aren’t watching them, they really are.”
