A game many of us are losing

In May, LinkedIn launched a suite of games on its platform. This itself isn’t newsworthy, but it reflects one of the great conundrums of modern life: we say we’re time-strapped but we keep inventing new ways to distract ourselves. Using LinkedIn as an example, we may join a social media platform to grow in our professional life, only to spend time moving pixels around on a screen in exchange for a hit of dopamine.

In the 17 years since the launch of the iPhone, it seems more common to hear people describe themselves as “busy.” And assuredly, some of us are--especially those with multiple jobs, young kids, aging parents, or any combination of those circumstances. But if we’re being honest with ourselves, many of us have more discretionary time than ever. What’s changed is that we have more ways of spending that time--or, to be less generous, wasting that time--than ever before. Netflix binges. Endless social media scrolling. Games on LinkedIn--and, seemingly, everywhere else. 

In terms of who’s benefitting from this, there’s a clear winner: the social media platforms and media companies themselves. Their goal, simply put, is to capture as much of our attention as possible. When we spend more time on their properties, advertisers are more enticed to spend more money with them, which leads to them generating more revenue. This might be good for these businesses, but it’s bad for the rest of us.

This isn’t to say that entertainment is inherently bad, of course. It’s important to have some downtime, and time spent with media can help us relax--at least in theory. In addition, watching TV, connecting on social media, and playing games can be a great way to spend time with loved ones. But there’s also mounting evidence that many of these activities, especially in excess, increase stress and occur when we’re alone, which in turn contributes to higher rates of anxiety and depression.

So, what does this mean for those who want to avoid wasting too much discretionary time? The first step is acknowledging that you’re going to have to do more than just resist the siren song of your smartphone. Because the software engineers have gotten so good at exploiting our weaknesses, you’re going to have to apply some tools and rules to change your habits. A few examples:

• Turning off notifications. My rule of thumb is that I don’t allow any notifications unless I’m expecting a call or if I want to be available for texts. Literally almost no exceptions. 
• Deactivating or deleting social media, games, and other apps. You can take small steps, like removing apps from your phone, or you can disconnect altogether. Regardless, the fewer unproductive apps you have access to, the less time you’ll spend unproductively.
• Using apps like StayFocusd and Freedom, which block distracting sites either temporarily or altogether.
• Making it inconvenient to access your phone when you don’t want to be interrupted, such as keeping it in another room when you’re asleep, putting it in a desk drawer when you’re meeting with a co-worker, or leaving it behind altogether when you’re with friends or family members.
• Tracking your time. Simply noting how much time you spend on each device is often sobering enough to inspire changes, and most devices make this data readily available. I strive to spend an average of 90 minutes a day on my phone, including maps, podcasts, music, and everything else. It’s more challenging than you might expect, but I find that my best days are the ones where I stay well under this limit.
• Set goals that get you away from your devices. It’s pretty simple: if you want to spend less time unproductively, set goals that inspire you to be more productive. This could be related to fitness, non-digital art, face time with people you care about, or more time in nature.

The bottom line is this: in 2024, your ability to reach your goals is directly proportional to your ability to say no to things that get in the way. If you’re afraid of what you’ll give up by spending less time in front of screens, consider this: aren’t you giving up enough already?