{"id":1636,"date":"2026-04-28T16:39:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/?p=1636"},"modified":"2026-04-28T16:39:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T16:39:29","slug":"swipe-right-on-real-life-mastering-your-digital-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/swipe-right-on-real-life-mastering-your-digital-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Swipe Right on Real Life: Mastering Your Digital Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"

6 tips for cutting down screen time<\/span><\/h2>\n

Scrolling may seem like the perfect downtime activity, but research shows that a high level of screen time is associated with increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, this favorite American past-time makes us feel lousy about ourselves. Prolonged exposure to social media can lead to comparison, decreased self-esteem, and mental fatigue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"With all of the constant notifications, we can get easily distracted, making it harder to multitask. Our brains get used to short reels and it\u2019s hard to pay attention to anything more than a few minutes long. Ultimately, our phones reduce our attention spans and tank cognitive performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most well-known and documented effects of screen time is its impact on sleep. Blue light emitted <\/span>from screens interferes with melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

Poor sleep quality is linked to decreased cognitive function, mood instability, and a weakened <\/span>immune system. Overall, consistent long-term screen use can also lead to physical issues such as eye <\/span>strain, headaches, and sedentary habits, which can increase the risk of chronic health concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sorry to be all doom and gloom here, but the truth hurts. So, what can you do to cut back on screen time? Here are 6 tips:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Reduce eye strain. <\/b>Follow the 20-20-20 rule to reduce eye strain. Every 20 minutes take a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away. This can relax eye muscles, reduce fatigue and alleviate headaches and blurred vision that often comes from staring at the screen too long.<\/li>\n
  2. Prioritize screen-free time. <\/b>Carve out screen-free times into your day, especially before bed. Find times during the day to go screen-free and find a non-screen activity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Touch grass<\/b>. In the literal sense, touching grass\/getting some time outside to move the body and\/or hang out with people IRL.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Take breaks. <\/b>Take a 5 to 15 minute \u201cbrain break\u201d, especially when studying or working on the computer for an extended period of time.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Find alternative activities.<\/b> Engage in offline activities, like exercise or events that include social interaction<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Create tech-free study sessions.<\/b> Put your phone away or put it on airplane mode so you can get in the zone with your course material.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Creating a healthy relationship with technology is about awareness and small behavior changes. Social media is here to stay and scrolling is a trap that can get you hooked for much longer than the time intended. However, by setting boundaries and prioritizing offline time, you can improve your focus, your emotional well-being and your overall health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Madeline Shaffer, UCAN Health Coach<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    6 tips for cutting down screen time Scrolling may seem like the perfect downtime activity, but research shows that a high level of screen time is associated with increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.\u00a0 Plus, this favorite American past-time makes us feel lousy about ourselves. Prolonged exposure to social media can lead to comparison, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/359"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1636"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1636\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1642,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1636\/revisions\/1642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/ucan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}