How much screen time is too much? How to know your cellphone usage time
Too much screen time is linked to long-lasting negative effects on health, including poor sleep, addictive behaviors, and higher risk of depression.
Mobile phone use continues to grow throughout the world, with a study indicating that more than half of the global population now owns cellphones. In the U.S. various studies show that Americans spend anywhere from four to more than seven hours a day on their cellphone.
The smartphone is the most common way by which social media sides are accessed, and according to one study, exceeding the average use of social networks increases the chances of having problems related to mental health particularly for children and adolescents.
In adults, it has been found that there is an association between elevated screen time and depression among adults in the United States.
If you feel like you spend too much time on your smartphone, both iOS and Android offer different tools to monitor consumption and how to put these controls in place.
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How long is the maximum recommended time to spend in front of your cell phone?
The recommendations and opinions of experts are diverse. However, according to the National Institutes of Health, the recommended period of time in front of the cell phone is two hours or less per day.
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How to measure usage time on Android phones
Phones with Android operating system have the ‘Digital Wellbeing’ application available. In it you can know the usage time you have spent on each app individually. For this to appear you have to follow the following steps, in which you will also have to complete your profile:
- Open the Settings app.
- Click on Digital well-being and parental controls.
- Tap on 'More', the three vertical dots, and click on 'Manage your data'
If you want to monitor it more precisely, you can also add the widget to your device screen. It will tell you the three applications that you use the most each day.
- Press and hold on the home screen.
- Click on 'Widgets'.
- Find the 'Digital Wellbeing' app and long press on it. You will see the available ones.
- Drag the widget to the home screen and lift your finger.
How to measure usage time on iOS cellphones (iPhone)
As on Android, the ‘Screen Time’ application on iPhone must be activated for recording to begin. Learn about the process below:
- Go to Settings and select the 'Use Time' tab.
- Click on 'App and website activity'.
- Select ‘Turn on app and website activity’
On Monday mornings you will receive a report that will notify you of the average time spent using your mobile phone each day of the previous week. And if you enter the tab during the day you will know the time you have used each application.