We live off grid electrically, but not electronically, and the last few months Andy and I have both realized we’re spending entirely too much time on our phones.
Electronics are useful in so many ways for information, or recipes, or working a home business, or listening to music, or even writing. I am using my phone to type this article right now.
But phones are set up to be addictive, and it’s so easy for me to fill every quiet minute by getting on my phone. It takes away time for thought and reflection and leaves me feeling scattered, distracted, and distant from those I love.
We tried saying ‘No phones in bed’. Or ‘wait till evening to check emails or catch up on messages’. We also did frequent phone or media fasts. And yet it was never a lasting solution and we slowly slid back into our old ways.
Finally last week we got serious about setting boundaries for screen time and got an app called Your hour. It tracks the amount of time you spend on your phone as well as pointing out different apps thay show an addiction level. Each time you open an app, a little timer appears at the top corner counting up the seconds and minutes you have spent in that app. Talk about convicting! It really removes the desire to just waste time online because every second is counting higher.
There are other ways to set boundaries, but this app has been so helpful for us in keeping our phones as tools rather than an escape from real life.
How do you set boundaries for phones in your home?
I sometimes think that this little device could be the breakdown of a marriage.
Some ideas how husband and wife could operate:
“Chase and Lace” can see each other’s internet activity on each other’s phones.They are free to read each other’s messages as well.
“Ty and Skye” don’t look at their phones from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
“Clay and Faye” never add a “feature” or app to their phone without consulting the other one first. They are in agreement that Clay may take Faye’s phone from her and Faye from Clay if they feel the other one is “wasting time” on it.
“Ben and Jen” try to keep tab of what their teenagers do on their phones and have “technology family night” approximately once a month where they discuss the pros and cons…
Tabitha, thanks for sharing! I have been convicted in this area as well. One thing that has become clear is that rules (church, family, or personal) simply don’t cut the cheese. I need the grace of God and a desire to serve Him with all my heart. And while many conservative people have rejected television, we are regular users of YouTube. I am not saying this is right or wrong. But, we need to be clear with ourselves and our children why we choose to not do these things. Saying “NO!” to the black box has not fixed the problem if I still long to look at or have the things media promotes.