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How much time are you spending looking at your phone, scrolling on social media, or watching endless streams on YouTube? I bet it's more than you think. According to a 2025 YouGov survey, 57% of Americans say they spend five hours or more staring at screens, while 13% say it's closer to 9-12 hours. Yikes.
If your screen time is too high, it might be harming your mental health. Since May it's Mental Health Awareness month, I'll show you my top tips for a digital detox. Before you panic, I'm not here to take your phone or laptop away from you, but rather to help you minimize the time you spend doomscrolling so you can create a healthier relationship with your tech.
Here are four easy, low-effort ways to reduce your screen time, while still staying connected.
1. Go Offline for Limited Blocks of Time
You don't have to quit the internet cold turkey. It would be pretty hard to live that way! Instead, pick a small, manageable time period where you can commit to staying offline, say from noon until 8 p.m. on Saturday. You can adjust the timeframe up or down, as needed. The important part is forming the habit, so it becomes a part of your usual routine.
If you find yourself eager to pick up your device before the time is up, just think about how many hours you have left. You won't be offline forever. A good way to distract yourself is to plan activities where you'll be moving around or doing things that don't require your phone. Go outside to stretch your legs, get coffee with a friend, or plan a device-free day out with the family. If you fail, don't worry. Try again next week, and consider adjusting the timeframe or day of the week to better suit your lifestyle.
2. Only Use Essential Smartphone Apps
Instead of going offline completely, set some simple rules about what you will allow yourself to do on your smartphone . Will you let yourself answer phone calls and text messages, or maybe just read them? What about using map apps, your digital wallet, or your to-do list app? I've even heard of families who make exceptions during their digital breaks for any technology they use together, such as multiplayer video games.
You can either delete any apps you no longer want to use or set limits and restrictions on your smartphone. If you have an Android phone, you can set modes and routines where you specify which apps you want to restrict during certain days or times. Just navigate to Settings > Modes and Routines to start creating your own. For instance, you may choose to limit social media apps during work hours.
iPhone users can do the same thing by going to Settings > Screen Time > App Limits and setting specific controls for individual apps. You can also set up a passcode to override these limits if you need to use these apps in a pinch.
These settings can help turn your smartphone into more of a dumb phone, without requiring the extreme lifestyle change.
3. Don't Bring Your Phone or Laptop Into the Bedroom
Are you guilty of doomscrolling in bed? Is your phone the first thing you reach for in the morning? Maybe you should try keeping your phone, laptop, or tablet out of your bedroom. Unwind with screen time in the evening, but find a place that's out of the bedroom (or at least out of your reach) to stash your phone overnight.
If you use your phone as an alarm clock, you can switch to an analog option, a smart home speaker, or a sunrise alarm clock.
4. Try a Phone-Locking Device
Reducing your laptop or tablet screen time might be easier than cutting back on using your smartphone. If you want to make it a little bit harder to break your smartphone screentime rules, consider a physical device that will lock down your phone for you. I conducted a test with both Brick and Unpluq Tag to cut back on screen time. These physical devices lock you out of the apps you choose until you physically tap them to your phone. They work best when you leave them at home, so you're not tempted to unlock your apps every five minutes. But you'll pay a minimum of $59 for either.
PCMag contributor Eric Ravenscraft tested out a more affordable approach using NFT tags (he bought his for under $10) and Switchly's free tier to get the same result.
Set Yourself Up for Success
Before you take a digital break, communicate your plan with your family, friends, and colleagues, so they don't think you're ignoring them. Tell key people how they can still reach you in an emergency. For example, have them call your phone rather than text you.
Giving up technology, even for a short period of time, can be hard, and you might fail the first time you try. That's OK. Cut yourself some slack and try again. It might help to only concentrate on social media at first.