Friday Coffee with MAP – January 10 2025

Hello , and welcome to Friday Coffee with MAP!

With the "new year, new you" mindset in full swing, one resolution seems particularly popular this year: to cut back on phone usage. While smartphones are undeniably among the most useful tools ever created, many of us feel increasingly addicted or overly dependent on them for entertainment and stimulation, often at the expense of other fulfilling activities. The long-term effects of this reliance remain uncertain, but research suggests that cutting back on screen time can help increase attention span, creativity, and overall happiness. This week, we explore eight practical strategies to help you reduce phone use and embrace a more enriching, balanced life.

Happy reading!

“8 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Cell Phone Screen Time” 
_{by Courtney Lindwall for Consumer Reports}

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The average American spends over three hours daily on their phone, and Gallup polls reveal that most people feel they overuse their devices. Excessive screen time has been linked to various potential downsides, according to multiple studies: disrupted sleep, eye strain, reduced attention span, increased stress, and even a diminished capacity to build real-life social connections. Experts warn these risks are even more significant for the developing brains of children.

But not all is lost. Here are 8 expert-backed tips for reducing your screen time.

• Take Short Breaks Daily: Whether in a drawer, another room, or inside a timed lockbox, leave your phone in a secluded place for a specific amount of time each day.
  

• Delete Time-Wasting Apps: It doesn’t have to be a permanent deletion, but getting your most time-intensive apps off of your phone will kickstart the process of reducing your brain’s reliance on it.
  

• Mute Noisy Notifications: The constant pings of notifications coming in can create an urgency associated with your phone, which can lead to a compulsion. Go into your phone’s settings and turn off notifications for your buzziest apps.

• Go Gray: Phones are strategically designed to capture our attention with vibrant colors and engaging designs. Switching your screen to grayscale can help loosen their grip by dulling the visual appeal. You can keep your phone in grayscale all the time or use it only when actively trying to reduce screentime.
  

• Build Up Your Attention Stamina: Your attention span can be trained, like a muscle. To do this, silence your phone and set a timer for a beginner-friendly 15 minutes. Place your device face-down, committing to not touch it until the timer goes off. This will become much easier with practice.
  

• Arm Yourself With Alternatives: When working to replace an unhelpful habit, it’s essential to have healthier alternatives at the ready. Explore new hobbies, dive into books, create art, exercise, spend time in nature, or connect with others face-to-face. Engaging in slower, purposeful activities soothes the mind and helps expand your attention span.

• Enlist Friends and Family: Turn your screen-time reduction into a team effort. Set boundaries with family, like no phones during meals, or lead by example by avoiding social media while with friends.

• Track Your Progress: Making changes is easy; sticking with them is harder. Make sure to monitor your progress by reviewing your goals; check weekly screen time stats and adjust as needed.

As always, celebrate the wins! Phone use can be difficult to regulate becuase the phone has so many useful applications– so, especially in this case, remember that small, incremental reductions in screen time can still be major wins.
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So tell us: Do you feel that you spend too much time on your phone, and have you employed any specific tactics to limit your use?

Thank you,

The MAP Team

10345 W. Olympic Blvd, Suite 110
Los Angeles, CA 90064
OFFICE: 310.601.4095
FAX: 310.388.5484
WEB:www.mapstrategic.com

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