Cutting out

You know how I've been trying to reduce my usage of social media by sometimes semi-quitting it. I hang my head in shame to tell you that I haven't been successful. Every time I think I can use it meaningfully without it overtaking my life, I'm proven wrong - again and again.

Anyway, I was recommended a video by Makari Espe on Youtube, where she went on a journey to cut down her (phone) screen time. It was based on a weekly newsletter by The Guardian called "Reclaim your brain" which I, on an inspired whim, signed up for.

And then proceeded to leave the newsletters to sit in my inbox until The Guardian eventually stopped sending me follow-up newsletters because I wasn't opening them.

But I decided now is a good time to reflect on my phone habits and hopefully, reset them.

Week 1

Average screen time per day last week: 7 hours. 106 days per year. A whopping 29% of the year. What the actual f***.

Sunday, 15 June 2025

Screen time: 4h 28 mins

My iPhone keeps telling me that I've reached my limit on Instagram mid-scroll. How annoying. I quickly tapped "Remind me in 15 minutes" so that I could continue doom-scrolling. And I do it every 15 minutes.

I set my time limit on Instagram - my biggest time waster - to 45 minutes per day. Which, on hindsight, is a lot. But there is so much content on the app alone, and the algorithm keeps churning content depending on what outrages you that you willingly give up your choice to stay. This was one of the reasons why I avoided TikTok, and unfortunately is the reason why it's so hard to let go of Instagram.

Things had to change.

Monday, 16 June 2025

Screen time: 1h 26 mins

I dug out the newsletters from Guardian that I put off doing and realised that I forwarded the welcome email to my then-fiancé when it first landed in my inbox. I really wanted to do this with a buddy.

Turns out, it was hard doing this with a buddy who lives 13,123 kilometres away from me.

Here were the instructions for this week:

1. Acquire an alarm clock

The first thing suggested was to acquire an alarm clock, considering most people see their phones first thing in the morning as it is their alarms. And then they scroll on their phones and end up spending 2 hours in bed or something.

I had a digital alarm clock which was so damn loud that it woke up everyone in the apartment. I decided to use my trusty Garmin instead. At least it just vibrates on my wrist and irks me, only.

2. Set personal goals

I'm personally tired of making goals and not achieving them. I decided to keep the bar low this time and settled for 2 goals: Use social media with purpose, and have less than 1-hour screen time per day.

3. Reality check

I found out that I had 7 hours of screen time in the week preceding this. I blamed it on being stressed out by the news of the Madleen being intercepted by Is****. I hate this world so much that I kept refreshing my Instagram app just to see news out of it. But I knew I was also part of the problem - because this is exactly what the app needs. More engagement. More outrage. More eyeballs. More advertisers. MORE.

4. Create a "speed bump"

Put something on your phone to make you rethink why you're reaching out for the phone. I placed an old hair tie around my phone to create a physical barrier that would be so cumbersome to remove, that I'd just give up on using my phone (or so I thought).

And so my journey began.

Other than Instagram, I use Whatsapp as my main form of communication with my family and friends. That expends a lot of screen time, especially when I video call my husband. This is my marriage! I exclaimed. We'll just have to stick with our weekly Discord calls then...

I used my phone for the Waking up app, to text my friend Aisyah whom I was meeting for dinner, and to access my BOOST membership ecard and to order food. ORDER FOOD. What kind of world are we living in now....

I kept my phone in my bag most of the time and spent waiting moments solving sudoku puzzles in a physical book.

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

Screen time: 2h 34 mins

I woke up at a respectable time of 9 in the morning which meant that I have even lesser time in the day to use my phone. #logique

I had a class to assist at 4.30pm but until then, I used the phone to read and reply texts from my husband and some other friends. I went to watch a movie, so I had to access my membership ecard on my web browser for a discount. I also tried to fix my Libby app on my tablet by using google search on my phone. Turns out, for some reason unbeknownst to me, my Libby app cannot be used when my tablet is connected to my home wifi. But it's fine elsewhere. Good grief. What a waste of my screen time to search for solutions.

It was this moment, almost 24 hours later, that I realised the best way to avoid using my phone was to not have it on me physically. Having to look for it was the best speed bump. I quickly abandoned the hair tie trick, and committed to keep my phone in the depths of my bag.

Wednesday, 18 June 2025

Screen time: 2h 35 minutes

I was at home the whole day so I used my phone to listen to podcasts while working on my household chores. I have been using this opportunity to catch up with the DINKY podcast to reaffirm my childfree stance and to reassure myself that I'm not crazy for choosing this.

I watched some Youtube videos on TV to avoid using my phone. I was looking for techniques to solve some of the more advanced Sudoku puzzles I'd been working on. Reminded me of when I was younger, where I would spend time googling ways to solve a Rubik's cube. I have never solved a single Rubik's cube on my own, ever.

In the evening, I needed to use Google maps on my phone to get me to a café where my friends were participating in a latte art competition. I took some photos and videos for them. I know, use less phone, be in the moment, bla bla bla. I watched most of the competition live, okay?

I then made the mistake of downloading Instagram to post said photos and videos. Did I need to? No. Absolutely not. But my "social" side got the better of me. I wanted to feel included, you know? I came home, scrolled for a bit and quickly deleted the app again. Vas t'en!

Thursday, 19 June 2025

Screen time: 2h 2 mins

When I woke up, I already had 9 minutes worth of screen time. Crap. I slept way past midnight, texting my husband whom, thankfully, was still busy at work. I would have been tempted to call him and slept even later. Note to self: Don't drink coffee at 7pm even if I was at a latte art competition.

I had time to make a double chicken patty burger with truffle brie and lettuce and salsa. How decadent. I even managed to vacuum and mop the floor with a magiclean wipe.

I finally had time to get a facial done at K-Skin. There was a customer inside while I was waiting, so I took out my sudoku book to get solving when I realised I forgot my pencil. The horror! I cracked. I used my phone's internet browser to look for a podcast episode I could listen to (as it was not on Spotify) but ended up being sucked into watching Youtube Shorts. Honestly, what is with these services and their short-form videos? They are just taking a leaf out of the most successful app on the planet now. It's incessant.

Thankfully, I didn't wait too long for my appointment and so wasn't stuck in that loop.

I spent some time, on the way to work, on my browser to look at espresso machines for our home and for a good alternative gel moisturisers because I was running out of the one my husband gifted to me. I was about to purchase one on Shopee, but my screen time ran out. Thank god.

I went for dinner after work and left my phone in my bag most of the time, except when I used it to take photos to show my family the food. My camera eats first, always.

I need to start bringing a paperback to work.

Friday, 20 June 2025

Screen time: 1h 36 mins

My husband and a friend sent me some videos of their day on Whatsapp. I resolved to watch them over the day and not right in the morning. I had work at the café, so I listened to more podcasts on the bus.

I finally had a chance to rethink my decision on the gel moisturiser I saw the previous day, and ordered one after much deliberation (i.e. asking my sister if she's ever used it, and reading product reviews for a good 5 minutes).

Since I was at the café on a weekday, I had some downtime which meant that, if I wasn't careful, I would end up using my phone a lot. Instead, I took the time to write in my notebook which led to a conversation with a colleague about digital vs physical books. On the way home from work, I listened to more podcasts.

It also got me thinking about why I have such a deep resistance towards quitting social media entirely. Was it the social aspect that was making it irresistible? I know people with rich and colourful social lives despite not being on social media. I don't know, but this question requires some deep deliberation which I will do in the weeks to come.

I also realised that my phone screen time may decrease over this exercise, but my computer's screen time will definitely increase.

Saturday, 21 June 2025

Screen time: 1h 15 mins

I assist in morning classes on Saturdays so it's become a routine to wake up earlier. However, I was extra excited to wake up before 6am because I wanted to make drip coffee. I took me 15 minutes with the set up and grinding of beans. I had time to enjoy said coffee, have a proper breakfast consisting of a slice of bread slathered with chocolate spread, write a page in my journal, and be out of the house before 8am.

Instead of listening to the usual podcast, I opted to take a nap in the MRT instead. A great use of my travel time.

I skipped a get-together with colleagues in the evening because I felt a little under the weather, which could explain why I'd been so tired this past week. The weather could be blamed too, and I had a nap post-lunch and woke up to text my husband, talk to my mother and write this post.

I ended the night hopping on a call with my husband on Discord, which led to a debate about my weird habit of reading spoilers before consuming a media or watching a movie. I can still enjoy something even when I know the ending!

Closing thoughts for Week 1

The smartphone is an indispensable tool. We use it to communicate, to keep up-to-date with the world around us, to shop, bank, access membership cards and heck, even access our identity cards in the form of the SingPass app. It's come to a point where a lot of corporations do away with physical cards.

The irony is that I used to want this convenience. I used to wish MSN messenger was on my phone so that I didn't have to turn on my laptop to talk to my friends.

I've lived in a time where I didn't need my phone, or a phone at all. But now I almost can't live without it.

But will that change? Continue this series here.