Healthy Screen Use
Screen use can be broken down into three main categories: productive, entertainment, and social. Healthy screen use is when we balance all types of screen use with our everyday responsibilities.
If you are on screens the entire day of work, that's okay. If your primary source of entertainment is online, that's okay. If you enjoy relaxing online with your friends gaming, that's okay too.
The key is balance. It's good to have time online. It's also good to spend time offline. No screens entirely is not the answer. We can, and should, use screens to enhance our life, not take away from it. Learn more about digital wellness and ways to manage well-being in the digital age in Amy Blankson's book called The Future of Happiness.
Playing video games can be productive, entertaining, and social. It has the potential to be unhealthy or healthy. One person can have a gaming disorder and another can have a gaming career. Being a successful professional gamer is a highly competitive area, but it is possible.
Gaming Careers
Streaming
Video game streaming is when someone broadcasts themselves playing a video game. Others can watch this broadcast live or at a later date. Streamers use platforms like Twitch.tv or YouTube Gaming to broadcast their stream.
A popular streamer who plays Fortnite is Richard "Ninja" Blevins. He's been quoted to make around $5.4 million per year. He earns at least $500,000 per month.
Michael "Shroud" Grzesiek is another professional streamer. He was on a professional eSports team but currently makes around $4.4 million per year as a streamer.
Check out more streamers who make a killing by killing it gaming.
Esports
Esports is the professional world of gaming. Each professional sport has it's respected organizations. NBA for basketball, NFL for football, MLB for baseball, and eSports for gaming.
There are many competitive video games that have professional teams. Dota 2, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Counter-Strike Go are all competitive video games who have eSports teams. Each team is similar to a traditional sports team.
Esports teams train together. The team usually trains or plays their game for around eight + hours per day. They have a coach and are on a regimented schedule. They exercise, eat healthy meals, and spend time outside of training with their team relaxing.
The "Health" in Healthy Screen Use
Healthy screen use looks like the following.
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Positive social relationships are gained from online use
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Your career or education is improved due to using screens
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You have meaningful real-life relationships
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Your mental and physical health are improved with screen use
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Screen activities are adding to or enhancing your life
When assessing if you have a healthy relationship with screens, ask yourself and the ones closest to you:
"Am I a healthier person thanks to my screen use?"
In the modern world, screen use is like eating. We all have to do it. We can have good boundaries with our intake. Or we can go overboard, have a problem, and be unhealthy. Use screens to improve your health, not take away from it.
Healthy screen use is the goal. When your screen use lifestyle is improving your well-being, increasing your joy, and adding value to your life, you've found healthy screen use.
Maintaining healthy screen use can be difficult. It can be a constant battle against being controlled by technology. If you would like support in the work you've already done, make an appointment. Escapingthe.com can help you continue to escape the .com.
Healthy Screen Use Tips
Ways to Maintain Healthy Screen Use on Your Phone
Be Aware of Screen Time
Know how much screen time you are using by exploring the Screen Time (iPhone) or Digital Wellbeing (Samsung) apps. Use these apps to see how much time you're spending on your phone. Learn what you're spending your time doing. You can also set time away from your screen, set app limits, or block certain content. Being aware of your screen time aids in healthy screen use.
Go Greyscale
A great way to make your phone less enticing is to turn it to Greyscale mode. On your iPhone, tap Settings, Accessibility, Accessibility Shortcut, then Color Filters. If you have an iPhone 8 or older, triple tap the home button. If you have a X or newer, triple tap the side button. You can always go back to settings with another triple tap. On Samsung devices, go to Settings, Accessibility, Vision, Greyscale.
Do Not Disturb While Driving
Around 1 and 4 car accidents are due to cell phone use. Set your phone up to not distract you from driving. On your iPhone, tap Settings, Do Not Disturb, Activate (under the header DO NOT DISTURB WHILE DRIVING), then tap Automatically. Do Not Disturb will be activated automatically based on detected motion. Set up an automatic reply message under Auto-Reply at the bottom of the Do Not Disturb page.
Turn Off Notifications
Random and constant notifications distracts us, increases anxiety, and robs us of our time. Turning off notifications can address these issues. Turn off all social media notifications. Go through all your apps and turn off all notifications you do not absolutely need. If you want to check on your latest post, go to the app. Control the time on your device rather than it controlling you.
Designate Work and Play Screen Time
Most all of us use screens for work and fun. It's important to keep those experiences separate. Set up specific times to complete work on your screens. Once your work is completed, or you're taking a break, have a set time to play and have fun online. Having designated work and play screen time will help increase productivity and help manage your time.
Charge Phone Outside of Bedroom
Devices can steal our sleep. Keep your phone and any distracting device out of your bedroom when you're trying to sleep. Unless your profession requires your response at any time of the night, you do not need your phone next to your bed. Let it charge outside your bed. Better yet, turn it off!
BONUS TIP: Buy an Alarm Clock
A common response to charging your phone outside of your bedroom is, "But I use my phone as an alarm clock." An easy solution for this is buying an alarm clock. This one is great!