Leave your phone, find a new hobby, delete apps and turn off notifications. Here are teens' own tips for cutting down on screen time. Three in ten 9- to 18-year-olds wish their phones were switched off more often, and nearly as many have difficulty sleeping due to mobile devices, according to the 'Children and Media 2022' study by the Norwegian Media Authority.
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Young people from the Fyrstikkalleen high school in Oslo, in response to a question asked by the Norwegian Media Authority, developed activities aimed at limiting the time spent in front of the screen. The reason for this was that many children and adolescents made it clear that they wanted to log out.
– The Norwegian Media Authority wants to help young people become more aware of their use of mobile phones. If many of them want to spend less time in front of the screen, we thought it would be good to get young people to come up with their own solutions, said director Mari Velsand of the Norwegian Media Authority.
Youth's own tips
Young people from Fyrstikkalleen High School believed that the mobile phone had many advantages, such as music, movies and contact with friends. However, they didn't like the feeling of being addicted and how time passed unnoticed when they were on the phone. Therefore, students developed the following ten tips for reducing screen time:
- Leave your phone at home when you go for a walk.
- Remove "time wasters" (apps that steal a lot of time).
- Don't take your phone into the bedroom.
- Find a new hobby.
- A maximum of two hours in front of a screen a day.
- Turn off notifications (almost all).
- Leave the phone in a fixed place in the house.
- 24 hours without a phone.
- Just pull yourself together!
- Try the Hold app.
The students tested their own tips
Then the students tested their own tips. Actions that led to specific limitations, such as limiting focus on the phone, removing or hiding apps that steal a lot of time, and turning off notifications, worked very well for many people. Some young people were also happy that they did not have a telephone in the bedroom. Many also tried to find new hobbies.
“Many students expressed that it was a good experience to do different activities without using a screen at the same time,” said Velsand.
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Source: Norwegian Media Authority
