One of the decisions I made for the new year is to reduce the time I spend staring at my phone screen and instead dedicate more time to what I truly need, which is enjoying conversations with friends and exercising in all its forms. Ironically, I found myself turning to the very same useful but cursed device I am trying to limit - the phone - to search for ideas that might help people like me engage in other activities or hobbies.
One of the first suggestions I came across was to use a system that temporarily blocks distracting apps. It reminded me of the “cigarette box” designed for a Soviet leader, which could only be opened every four or five hours for a single cigarette. Some apps even require the user to perform five squats before they can access programs like Instagram or TikTok. For those seeking to disconnect from their phones, try leaving the house to go for a drive, visit a mall, or just hang out, but avoid sitting in cafes. Spending an hour and a half away from your phone can feel like a miracle for some. Pick up an enjoyable book, avoiding heavy or boring ones that will only tempt you back to your phone, which is far easier to navigate.
Learning to read on a Kindle can be a great option, as it is like a mobile device but designed for focused reading. Learning a new language is also highly beneficial. I started learning Spanish a while ago using the fun and easy-touse Duolingo app. I have made good progress, especially with the help of the unique book “Gulf Spanish” by Sarah Yousef, written in the Kuwaiti dialect. Keep a journal. You can start right now by going back a week and writing down everything that happened.
Every word you write has a lasting impact, even months later. Journaling helps you revisit specific events or resolve conflicts whose details you may have forgotten. There are excellent online programs to help you maintain a daily journal, and The Wirecutter Show podcast is a great resource for practicing this useful and engaging skill. Children, especially teenagers, should not be completely deprived of their phones. Instead, they should be guided to set specific times for usage.
Ideally, the whole family should participate in these digital time-outs to avoid creating unnecessary sensitivities. Parents must remember that they set an example. If they lack the discipline to put their phones aside for a period, they have no right to enforce restrictions on their children. Experience shows that advice and gentle reminders are often ineffective. Protecting children online requires regulatory measures, such as automatic restrictions that prevent strangers from viewing, tagging, or messaging minors on social media and gaming platforms like Roblox and Discord. Parental consent should be mandatory for accepting friend requests, and age verification should be a must on gaming sites for children under 13. Parents should build trust within the family by having open discussions about online risks, so children feel comfortable reporting any problems.
Parental control apps such as Bark, Qustodio, and Aura can be used to monitor activity, set screen time limits, and block inappropriate content on all devices. It is also important to keep devices in common areas, establish clear usage limits, and adjust these limits as children grow older.
By Ahmad alsarraf
email: [email protected]
email: [email protected]
