The average screen time for teenagers is 8 hours and 39 minutes per day.

And this doesn't count school work. Between 8 hour school days, extracurriculars, and homework: where is the time to sleep? 

Adults don't do much better, also, with an average screen time of 7 hours and 3 minutes per day in the United States and 6 hours and 40 minutes per day globally. 

Here are my personal favorites (#1 & #2) for saving screen time, and some other popular ones (#3 - #5) that will help you slash your screen time in half, saving your sleep and your phone's battery in the mean time.

#1 One Sec

One sec is free (for one app as of 10/2024) and requires you to take a deep breath before scrollling. I personally have this set up for YouTube to keep me from scrolling on Shorts or watching videos when I get home and need to get productive. If you require to continue to the app, all you have to do is wait the default 5 seconds (you can also customize this time) and then click "Continue to [enter app]." 

Pros: The genius design of one sec is that it stops the tendency to open TikTok or Instagram while waiting for an Uber, during the time between classes, or on the toilet. The app grounds you and makes you question why you really want to open the app in the first place.

Cons: It is a tad annoying when you decide to enter the app and then switch out to open a text notification, take a photo, or even by accident. If this happens, on the free version, you must wait the allotted time and take another deep breath. However, upgrading can allow between-app switches, if you so desire.

Overall, 7/10

#2 ScreenZen

ScreenZen is my personal favorite for Instagram and Snapchat. Like one sec, ScreenZen makes you pause before opening an app, but uniquely it asks you a question (of your choosing) and requires you to input a response before continuing to the app.

Pros: The question I have personally selected is "Why are you opening?" In the 5 seconds I have to wait before navigating to a social media app, I must ask myself "Why do I really want to open Instagram?" Usually, the answer is "to post something for PEA, of course!" but, if your intention is to scroll or message, this question (or any similar one of your choosing) requires you to reason with yourself and justify your opening of the app. If there isn't a good reason, this makes me close it.

Cons: There is a time limit on the amount of time you can be in a certain app. I have this set on 7 minutes at a time, with a maximum of 10 times per day. This is usually helpful because if I find myself doing something other than my originally intended purpose for opening an app, it kicks me out and makes me realize that I wasted 7 minutes and should get on with something productive. However, if I'm writing a caption for a PEA reel, or something similar, it can be mildly frustrating to wait the allotted time and justify my return to the app to finish my task.

Overall, 8/10

#3 "Digital Wellbeing" setting for Android

No, I am not an Android user myself, but I hear this built-in control is very valuable for users to set app timers and create widgets to make you face the reality of your screen time.

Pros: Digital Wellbeing allows you to easily set limits per app, for an unlimited amount of apps. After the time limit for a certain application is done, it will prompt you to either change the settings or leave the app. The sleep tracker is also very helpful and a unqiue feature to this program.

Cons: Usually, this setting is installed by a parent or guardian and will require a passcode to change the settings and continue into the app. If this is the case, educational activities such as watching an educational YouTube video or checking a club's Instagram will be disrupted until the next day, which can make it very irritating. If you create these settings for yourself, to bypass the screen time for a productive activity, the hinderance of changing the apps settings entirely can also be very irritating. 

Overall, 5/10

#4 "Screen Time" settings for iPhone

Similar to the Android "Digital Wellbeing" setting, "Screen Time" on iPhone allows you to track screen time by app and device, create restrictions, and monitor other devices via Parental controls. 

Pros: "Screen Time" settings allow you to easily set limits per app, for an unlimited amount of apps. After the time limit for a certain application is done, it will prompt you to either enter a passcode or leave the app. As compared to "Digital Wellbeing," "Screen Time" allows you to create a passcode to extend your time on a certain application, while Android's counterpart only permits you to change the settings directly. Additionally, the settings permit "downtime" before a set sleep schedule to time app limits to certain hours of the day or night.

Cons: In my non-expert opinion, the "Screen Time" settings are best for parental controls, but are less effective in reducing your own screen time. Because the screen time effects are on the back end of one's time in an app, it is hard to discourage entering the app at all, which would be more effective for reducing an addiction to social media applications. This could be improved by prompts to close the app, as one sec and ScreenZen have.

Overall, 6/10

#5 Flora 

Flora is a recently popular app that asks you to set a time to restrict you from using your device completely to allow for maximum productivity. While you work on a homework assignment or extracurricular, the app "grows" plants from around the world. If you open your phone to text someone or change the music, a banner pops up on your screen giving you 5 seconds before your "plant" dies and you fail for that time allottment. Conveniently, if you aren't on your phone for a period longer than that initially selected, then it continues and counts up on your productivity time. There are also friend settings to enter productivity times with peers for further motivation.

Pros: Ultimate productivity app with motivation by friends and plants. The 5 second timer is very helpful because often you can send a quick message or do what you need in that time and still keep your plant alive. Resonding to notifications on the lock screen also work during focus mode. When you fail to reach your goal of productivity, the app kills the "plant" to offer negative reinforcement as well. All around effective application.

Cons: Often, your productivity can involve your phone to write an email or text a project partner. Because Flora blocks the usage of any app except their own, you must pause (taking into the 5 minute maximum pause time and not counting toward your productivity time) and complete your task quicklly. Otherwise, the "plant" dies and the app (and your friends) essentially shames you. 

Overall, 8/10