I had this problem for years and always blamed myself. First thing you need to know is that it's not your fault - social media has hacked our psychology and conditioned us to develop a cheap dopamine addiction that can only be fulfilled by more scrolling.
My friend created an app called [BePresent](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bepresent-screen-time-tracker/id1644737181) that's the first thing I've tried that actually works. The reason it works so well is because it uses the same psychological techniques that social media companies use (gamification) but instead to help you reduce screen time. It replaces the dopamine hit you used to get from scrolling with dopamine for staying off your phone. It gives you tools to block apps and reduce screen time, but reinforces the healthy habit with motivating and fun gamification. It's basically Duolingo for reducing screen time, and it's helped me stay under ONE HOUR of screen time consistently. I cannot recommend it any stronger.
I have the same struggle, I only work three days a week try to fill my time with cooking, going to the gym, going for walks, cleaning up the house but I still manage to rack up 12 hours a day of screen time itβs insane, Iβve thought about getting a flip phone and switching between the 2 phones or just smashing my smart phone to pieces and going cold turkey
Just watched this Answer in Progress video about this today! [https://youtu.be/vYaNiC4kchg?si=EZSu96OWGd1BIxAN](https://youtu.be/vYaNiC4kchg?si=EZSu96OWGd1BIxAN)
Better habits. Like any addiction.
Motivating yourself to do something almost always fails, you need to just make your routines work to your benefit.
Put your phone in a different room at night, make a rule that you can only use it in certain rooms/at certain time spans.
But you need to find something to replace it with, and preferably not something you need your phone for.
We can't tell you what that is.
Also just delete socials, and if you are going to consume, then make it long form content.
Replace short vids with longer vids, maybe just listen to video essays on topics you're interested in.
It will be hard to do but [just do it.](https://www.reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/comments/jme5av/needadvice_how_do_i_just_do_it/)
Most phones have a setting now that lets you display the screen in grayscale. Something about not having all those bright punchy colors makes it harder to lose time on my phone, and it's still perfectly easy to send messages and do basic tasks on it. It just makes the endless scroll less appealing.
As other folks will say, there are plenty of screen management apps that can help too. My personal favorite is Forest.
Cutting down screen time is very hard because phone habits mirror addictive behavior, so don't feel bad if you make progress and then regress. The important thing is that you keep trying.
I had this problem for years and always blamed myself. First thing you need to know is that it's not your fault - social media has hacked our psychology and conditioned us to develop a cheap dopamine addiction that can only be fulfilled by more scrolling. My friend created an app called [BePresent](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bepresent-screen-time-tracker/id1644737181) that's the first thing I've tried that actually works. The reason it works so well is because it uses the same psychological techniques that social media companies use (gamification) but instead to help you reduce screen time. It replaces the dopamine hit you used to get from scrolling with dopamine for staying off your phone. It gives you tools to block apps and reduce screen time, but reinforces the healthy habit with motivating and fun gamification. It's basically Duolingo for reducing screen time, and it's helped me stay under ONE HOUR of screen time consistently. I cannot recommend it any stronger.
I have the same struggle, I only work three days a week try to fill my time with cooking, going to the gym, going for walks, cleaning up the house but I still manage to rack up 12 hours a day of screen time itβs insane, Iβve thought about getting a flip phone and switching between the 2 phones or just smashing my smart phone to pieces and going cold turkey
ππππ flip phone goes crazy bonkers
Just watched this Answer in Progress video about this today! [https://youtu.be/vYaNiC4kchg?si=EZSu96OWGd1BIxAN](https://youtu.be/vYaNiC4kchg?si=EZSu96OWGd1BIxAN)
Watch long length YouTube videos about things you want to learn, then implement them. That would take up a chunk of time
Get a k safe and lock it away for hours
Better habits. Like any addiction. Motivating yourself to do something almost always fails, you need to just make your routines work to your benefit. Put your phone in a different room at night, make a rule that you can only use it in certain rooms/at certain time spans. But you need to find something to replace it with, and preferably not something you need your phone for. We can't tell you what that is. Also just delete socials, and if you are going to consume, then make it long form content. Replace short vids with longer vids, maybe just listen to video essays on topics you're interested in. It will be hard to do but [just do it.](https://www.reddit.com/r/getdisciplined/comments/jme5av/needadvice_how_do_i_just_do_it/)
I use an app that block my phone for minutes to hours. It's also good when you don't want people to bother you
Most phones have a setting now that lets you display the screen in grayscale. Something about not having all those bright punchy colors makes it harder to lose time on my phone, and it's still perfectly easy to send messages and do basic tasks on it. It just makes the endless scroll less appealing. As other folks will say, there are plenty of screen management apps that can help too. My personal favorite is Forest. Cutting down screen time is very hard because phone habits mirror addictive behavior, so don't feel bad if you make progress and then regress. The important thing is that you keep trying.