Time & Productivity

Screens Are Embezzling Your Attention. Steal It Back — Now.

Yes, children need protection from the pervasive influence of digital media. But isn’t it time you got serious about your digital media use, too?

Anthony L. Rostain, M.D.
By Anthony L. Rostain, M.D., M.A. Verified Updated on January 3, 2025
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The average American checks their phone 205 times each day and spends about one-quarter of their waking hours on that addictive device each day. Time surrendered to screens has increased at least 30% in just the last five years; the unchecked proliferation of digital media and its influence over our lives is arguably the defining feature of the 21st century.

There’s no point spitefully opposing screens, digital media, and artificial intelligence. These tools keep us connected, learning, and informed, but the price we pay is the persistent erosion of our attention. Technology companies invest billions in developing powerful algorithms made to embezzle our attention, with little regard for the near- and long-term effects on health and wellbeing. The risks are particularly high for young people with ADHD who experience impulsivity, altered reward processing, time management challenges, and difficulty with boredom.

Multiple states are now issuing orders to curb phone use in schools and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called for warning labels on social media platforms, suggesting that digital media checks and balances are taking shape. To that end, here are steps you can take to regain control over your digital media use.

How Do Screens Affect Us?

Perpetual Distraction

Technology exploits the information-foraging nature of the brain. We evolved to seek and value information because it’s useful for survival. We don’t always know how to filter out too much information. That’s why it’s so tough to ignore the constant pings, dings, and other incessant notifications that force their way into our brains.

The Fiction of Multitasking

Our brains can only focus on one task at a time, yet many of us, seduced by our devices, assume that we can easily switch between tasks. Task switching is costly not just to productivity, but to brain functioning. It deteriorates attention span, which, according to some reports, has decreased from two and a half minutes in 2004 to about 47 seconds today.

[Think You May Be Addicted to Your Phone? Take This Screener] 

Aversion to Delays

The sheer speed of apps, sites, and game today has made us averse to delays. Ever notice yourself growing impatient if a page takes 10 seconds to load? We want stimulation constantly and immediately. An aversion to postponing gratification is problematic — patience and the ability to handle discomfort are essential for healthy functioning.

FOMO and Anxiety

Excessive pressure to stay connected to technology for fear of missing out (FOMO) drives anxiety, keeping us compulsively stuck to our devices and driving a feedback loop.

Restore Control: How to Unplug

Check In with Yourself

Ask yourself the following questions (and be honest in your answers) to gauge where you stand with your digital media habits:

  • “Is my smartphone use a problem for me? If so, in what ways?”
  • “Am I spending more time on my smartphone, computer, or device than I want?”
  • “Am I too distracted by notifications on my smartphone, computer, or other device?”
  • “Am I compulsively looking at my smartphone when I don’t really need to be?”
  • “Do I worry too much about what I’m missing if I’m not checking my smartphone?”
  • “Is it hard for me to resist looking at my smartphone when I’m doing other things, such as working, studying, spending time with people, walking, or driving?”
  • “Am I unhappy with my social media presence?”
  • “Am I an active or a passive user on social media?”
  • “Am I using social media as a substitute for real life?”
  • “Does social media leave me feeling inadequate or disappointed about my life?”

[Read: Can’t Stop Clicking? Here’s How to Beat “Infomania”]

Commit to Conscious Change

Reducing time spent online is critical — and difficult. It takes effort and real commitment to break free from what is an automatic behavior for many of us. Here are a few actionable steps to curb your screen and online time:

  • Use and app to track your daily social media activity for an accurate sense of how much attention you’re surrendering.
  • Turn off your phone at key times like while you’re driving, in meetings, and with family and friends.
  • Don’t bring your device to bed. Park your devices in a dresser or keep them outside of your room during bedtime.
  • Disable app notifications to avoid distractions and feelings of FOMO.
  • Interrupt compulsive checking. Decide specific times for checking your phone, for example. Keep your phone out of reach. Have a good reason for checking so that it’s not mindless.
  • Avoid passive scrolling, which is more likely to lead to negative feelings and disconnectedness.
  • Fill the void. Do you check social media because you’re bored? Stressed? Anxious? Lonely? Dissatisfied with your life? Question your reasons for escaping into the online world and see how you can tune in more to the real world. Keep a gratitude journal and track the positives. Spend time doing things in the physical world that make you feel good so that you’re better able to stay rooted in the present and restore your attention span.
  • Do what you can, but do something. What will it take for you to improve your digital media habits, even by a few minutes a day? If you can’t turn off your phone during dinner, can you commit to not looking at it for the first 5 minutes of your meal? If you can’t disable notifications, can you be more selective about which ones come through? Remind yourself why you want to be in better control of your usage and what’s at stake.

Screen Addiction and ADHD: Next Steps

The content for this article was derived from the ADDitude ADHD Experts webinar titled, “The Journey to Independence: A Parent’s Guide to Delayed Adulthood with ADHD” [Video Replay & Podcast #503] with Anthony Rostain, M.D., M.A., which was broadcast on May 1, 2024.

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