Those days that we only have 1 screen to entertain ourselves with are long over.
With the advent of the television we started to program ourselves that it is perfectly fine and normal to look at a screen for couple of hours.
Then the personal computer made its introduction which was great for processing, but too boring to use for many hours in a row.
Soon afterward the internet become mainstream which changed everything!
Now it was really fun to be on our computer!
We could communicate with others and let magic appear in front of our eyes by typing a few words and a few clicks.
In those days it was normal to write BRB aka Be Right Back.
You couldn’t bring the computer to the toilet, let alone outdoors.
The flip phones and feature phones made their introduction and slowly we got used to looking at a screen in the open air.
Not that we did this for long, a game of Snake could only last so long before it got boring.
With the advent of the smartphone in 2007, it seemed we were ready to increase our focus on those little screens wherever we are.
Of course, let’s not forget the tablet which became a popular household product as well.
So there is the television (with game consoles connected), laptops, computers, smartphones, tablets, handheld consoles…
There are so many screens in our lives that would love our attention!
It can certainly get messy. It’s hard to focus on just 1 screen for 2 hours straight.
Multitasking with 2 or 3 devices involved is the norm rather than the exception.
The biggest problem maker is undoubtedly the smartphone.
Write down what activities you are doing on that small device.
Make a list.
Now assign a few of those activities to other devices like the tablet or laptop.
Do you want to play games? Assign this task to a game console, handheld console or tablet.
Do you use Facebook a lot? Assign this task to a laptop.
Do you email in the evening? Assign this task to a laptop or desktop.
Outsource as many tasks as possible to other screens.
Don’t be all over the place with your activities.
Don’t play games on multiple devices. Pick 1 device and when you play on it, play well.
Max out every activity and you do that by being mindful of it.
Don’t do a little bit of a lot.
Be super conscious that you’re going to read your emails now.
Be super conscious that you will scroll and comment on Tik Tok now for 30 minutes.
When you have assigned certain tasks, delete apps on your phone that are redundant now.
Have you assigned Twitter to your laptop? Remove the Twitter app from your phone.
Too hard? Then start by using your laptop to post tweets and your phone to read tweets only.
Small steps are fine, as long as it is a step.
You can make a list of activities for every device so you know exactly what to expect from yourself.
You just want to pick your most popular device and outsource multiple activities to those other devices.
The ultimate goal is to use your smartphone less so you can enjoy your offline life a lot more.