You open Instagram to reply to messages before bed, and suddenly its 2AM and you’ve been scrolling through reels for 4 hours straight. The worst part is, you can’t bring yourself to stop.

In this digital era, we have reached a point where the first thing we do when we wake up is reach for our phones. From setting alarms to making calls, sending messages, and finding places with maps, we've become almost entirely dependent on it to survive. However, what we do not realize is our growing addiction to these devices- and how it can impact our physical and mental health.

The Attention Span of a Goldfish

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The average human attention span was 12 seconds in the year 2000. In 2015, Microsoft conducted a study that found the average person's attention span had decreased to just 8 seconds, which is shorter than the attention span of a goldfish. From 2000 to 2015, the average human attention span decreased by almost 25%.

A huge contribution is the increase in the amount of consumption of short form content, i.e. Instagram reels, YouTube shorts, etc. This type of content is specifically designed to captivate our attention for a short period of time, and the habit of consuming brief, easily digestible content can make it challenging to engage with longer, more complex material.

Along with this, people tend to want instant gratification- in a world where unlimited information is available to us at the touch of a screen, people may become frustrated when tasks require sustained effort or delayed rewards.

The perfectionism of social media

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Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer glimpses into the lives of others while allowing us to share snippets of our own. However, when we are constantly looking at picture-perfect models who are amazingly fit and healthy, friends who seem to be doing way better in life, etc. we tend to start comparing our lives to theirs, and wonder what we are doing wrong.

The thing is, what we see online might not be the reality at all. The models you see all have their photos heavily edited by professionals, and have personal trainers and dieticians to help them look the way they look. Your friends may be doing great in their career, but struggling in a different aspect. Social media has become a highlight reel of your best moments in life- nobody showcases the struggle or the pain they’re going through. So the next time you’re chasing after the perfect life you see on social media, remember that it doesn’t actually exist.

Reducing our screen time: Importance and tips

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Stop what you’re doing for a minute. Go check your screen time. Is it over 3 or 4 hours? Was most of it completely unnecessary? Chances are, the answer is yes.

A survey conducted amongst 1,500 parents showed that 69% of children aged 12 and above possessed their own smartphones, giving them unrestricted access to the internet. Globally, people average 6 hours and 58 minutes of screen time per day. That’s almost 30% of 24 hours. Like it or not, we are addicted to our phones.

There are various ways to be more mindful of our usage of mobile phones. Here are some tips to be more aware and reduce your screen time:

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