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Retrain Your Brain – Tips to Manage Screen Time

By Geo Elasmar, 2024-2025 MPY Youth Advisory Board Member

Most of us know we spend too much time on our phones, and yet breaking the habit is still painfully difficult. Social media platforms, streaming services, and even productivity apps are all designed to keep us hooked. If you’ve ever tried (and failed) to limit your screen time, you’re not alone. The good news is that there are practical, realistic ways to take back control without cutting yourself off completely. As a member of MPY’s Youth Media Squad, I wanted to share a few strategies that have helped me strike a better balance.

Find apps made to limit overuse

I’ve found that, oftentimes, it can be hard to simply rely on willpower when it comes to limiting screen time. Platforms are built to maximize user retention and prolonged usage, so when you find yourself scrolling on Instagram Reels for hours, it’s not all your fault.

Naturally, using an app’s built-in tools or downloading an external tool to curb screen time is a lot easier than relying on our own human discipline. On an iPhone, this can mean using the “Screen Time” settings to set app limits or schedule “downtime”. However, iPhones will always give you the option to ignore an app’s time limit for one minute, 15 minutes, or the entire day. This can make the restriction effectively meaningless, especially if your fingers get into the habit of ignoring a limit every time it appears.

Instagram itself has a similar option, but instead of physically blocking you from using the app, it only gives a reminder (a rather gentle one, at that). Now, I’m only speculating here, but I do have reason to think that Instagram doesn’t really want you closing their app after 30 minutes.

Some external apps that make ignoring a limit a lot harder include Burnout Buddy, one sec, Opal, and Jomo. These apps, unlike your iPhone or built-in features on Instagram, were designed with a goal of limiting your screen time on other apps. They have a variety of features that can help you set healthy boundaries around your tech use. Most don’t make money based on the amount of time you spend on the app, but instead charge a small fee to unlock specific tools.

But combining all the screen-time-limiting tools will always be easier than training your brain to give up doom-scrolling on its own. It’s best to experiment, try out the plethora of resources available, and see what works for you.

Find fulfilling alternatives

Many of us turn to our phones not out of necessity, but because they’re an easy escape. Whether it’s boredom, stress, or just a need for distraction, scrolling through social media or watching endless TikTok’s can feel like the default way to pass time. But often, this mindless engagement leaves us feeling more drained than fulfilled.

A good way to cut back on excessive phone use isn’t just to take something away—it’s to replace it with something better. Finding an activity that keeps your hands and mind engaged can make a huge difference. This could mean joining a local community, like a running club or a book group, or picking up a hobby that naturally limits screen time, like painting, baking, or playing an instrument. Physical hobbies, like yoga or hiking, not only give you something to do but also help break the cycle of reaching for your phone whenever there’s a quiet moment.

For me, being around other people is the number-one way that I can shed my screen-time habits. Finding time to hang out with close friends is a much more fulfilling distraction from life’s commotion than scrolling mindlessly on my phone.

Establish phone-detox routines

Even with the best screen-time limits in place, it’s easy to reach for your phone out of habit. That’s why setting structured, phone-free routines can be just as important as using technology to restrict technology. The goal isn’t to completely cut yourself off but to build intentional breaks into your day—times when you can fully unplug and focus on other activities.

One of the best ways to start is by making bedtime a screen-free zone. Most phones have a “Bedtime” or “Sleep” focus mode, but if you’re anything like me, a quick check of notifications can turn into an hour-long scroll through social media. Keeping your phone outside the bedroom or replacing nighttime scrolling with a book can help prevent this.

Tech-free periods during the day are also a game-changer. Whether it’s no phones at the dinner table or a designated screen-free hour in the morning, setting these boundaries can help break the cycle of mindless checking. Filling these gaps with hobbies—whether it’s crocheting, going for a run, or even just listening to music without looking at a screen—can make it easier to detach from your phone without feeling like you’re depriving yourself.

Ultimately, the key is to create small, manageable routines that help you retrain your brain to not automatically reach for your phone. Like any habit, it takes time to build, but once you do, you might be surprised at how much more present and focused you feel.

Recognize how certain social media content makes you feel

The biggest piece of advice that has been most helpful to me has been keeping track of my responses to certain social media content.

Some content leaves you feeling inspired or informed. Other content, even if it’s popular or entertaining, can quietly make you feel anxious, insecure, left out, and drained. The number-one recommendation I can give is to start paying attention to how you feel after spending time on an app. Do you feel energized or gross? Do you walk away feeling motivated or like you just wasted another hour?

Being honest about how specific accounts, creators, or even entire platforms affect your mood can help you make smarter choices. You might decide to mute certain people, unfollow creators that you compare yourself too much with, or even uninstall apps that consistently make you feel worse. The goal isn’t to cut yourself off from social media entirely—it’s to make a space that supports your mental health and doesn’t undermine it.