How often do you sleep in a day? Seven hours? Eight? Maybe ten on a particularly lazy day? Until a few days ago, I was “sleeping” for almost 15 hours a day — with my eyes wide open.
No, I’m not talking about actual sleep. I’m talking about my phone screen time.
I was spending hours watching Reels, Shorts and endless social media content, completely disconnected from the world around me. In a way, I was living in what I would call a “digital coma.”
We often tell people, “Do a digital detox. Stop using your phone so much. Stay away from social media.” But the more important question is: Why don’t we actually do it?
For me, I eventually found the answer: Because we are addicted to cheap dopamine.
Every time we pick up our phone and scroll through another Reel or Short, our brain gets tiny bursts of dopamine — the chemical associated with pleasure and reward. The more we repeat the behaviour, the more our brain starts craving it.
And when we try to stop? Our mind starts fighting back. The Problem Wasn’t Social Media That made me realise something important.The problem wasn’t necessarily social media. The problem was how easily accessible it had become.
My phone was always within reach. One tap, and I could open Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. I didn’t even have to think about it. So I decided to change one thing. I gradually uninstalled Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and similar apps from my phone.
I didn’t quit social media completely. Instead, I started accessing these platforms only through my computer, for about 30 minutes a day.
And something surprising happened. In those 30 minutes, I still got the entertainment, information and enjoyment I was looking for.
But my daily screen time dropped from around 15 hours to just 5 hours. That meant I had more than 10 additional hours every day. And with those extra hours, I slowly started finding something I had lost: Myself. Rediscovering the Real World
I started noticing the little things again. The cool breeze during an evening walk.A cup of tea without constantly checking my phone.
A conversation with someone I love without the distraction of notifications. Simply sitting quietly and doing nothing.
These moments reminded me of something we often forget: The real world has a beauty that even a 4K HDR screen cannot reproduce.
We have become so accustomed to consuming life through screens that sometimes we forget to actually experience life.
I’m Not Saying You Should Quit Social Media. Digital platforms have their place. They help us stay connected, informed and relevant. A certain amount of digital entertainment is perfectly normal — and, as I’ve said before, staying completely disconnected can also leave us out of touch with the world around us.
The problem begins when we lose control over how we use these platforms. Social media should be a part of your life. Your life shouldn’t become social media.
Try This Simple Experiment
Tonight, take a look at your phone’s Screen Time report. Check how many hours you are actually spending on your phone every day. If that number surprises or even scares you, try what worked for me. You don’t have to delete your entire digital life. Just make access a little harder.
Remove the apps from your phone. Use them through your computer for a limited amount of time. Give your brain a chance to break the habit of constantly reaching for the next scroll. You might be surprised by what happens when you get those hours back.
Because those extra hours aren’t just free time. They are your life. And perhaps, after taking some of that time back, we can all look up from our screens and say: “I’m finally awake.”
Leave a Reply