When screen time gets the better of you - and your time

There are good habits and there are bad habits. I've found the average amount of time I spend on apps on my iPhone is down 13% from last week, but the average is still nearly 3 hours a day.

How did that happen?

I was curious just how much my 2022 New Year's resolution to take more me time was being dominated by screen time. Now I'm appalled that I somehow settled on the idea that hoping on an electronic device to be entertained or distracted constituted healthy activity.

The biggest uh-oh moment was when I realized MonopolyGO was the at the top of my "most used" list over the last three months. It was followed by YouTube Music (I generally have music playing in the background while doing any type of work).

MonopolyGO is easily explained; My sister encouraged our whole family to join the game she obsessed over and now we spend portions of our days gleefully in bank heists trying to bankrupt one another. And as for the music, well, James Taylor's Walking Man and Jim Croce's Operator are irresistible.

That was followed by the eye-opening realization that when I don't feel efficient it is likely because, according to my phone's data, I'm receiving an average of 84 notifications a day from the apps ― breaking news, new messages, tweets and calendar reminders among the top distractions.

I don't consider it all wasted time. The reading app for Barnes & Noble and the education podcast playlist were among my most used apps. But it's apparent that my iPhone might just constitute a bad habit instead of a productive tool.

This year's resolution: Take back my time. Spend it on a book, actually playing a board game with my siblings and engaging with the real world.

Curious about how you're spending your time on your smart phone or device? Navigate on over to the Settings on an iPhone and select "Screen Time" to get a handy breakdown on where you're putting your attention. For Android users its as easy as clicking on "Digital Wellbeing" to understand your usage.

Hopefully it helps you make a good decision next time you reach for your digital device on exactly what kind of benefit you're getting from it.

Jessica Onsurez is News Director for the USA Today Network-New Mexico. Reach her at jonsurez@gannett.com. Follow her on the social media platform X at @jussGREAT.