6/23/2023 0 Comments Timetool app wont open![]() ![]() For seven days, I used a beta version of Apple's new Screen Time feature. I started off thinking an hour of social media a day was enough to budget myself. I know I spend too much time on my phone because I did a (rather unscientific) investigation. In short: we're becoming a species of smartphone zombies. A Belgian study by the Institute of Labor Economics has even shown that smartphone use directly negatively impacts academic performance. Smartphones are also keeping us awake at night, ruining the quality of our sleep. traffic fatalities, and while experts believe that smartphones have had a lot to do with it, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration hasn't officially attributed it to smartphone use yet. Distracted driving has caused a spike in U.S. Scientists even came up with a name for the fear of not being able to use our phones, or getting no signal (it's nomophobia). ![]() For some, being without a phone can actually cause stress. The excessive time we spend staring at a tiny screen is taking a toll. Multiple studies found that almost half of smartphone users (and there are billions of them worldwide) are glued to their screens for over five hours a day - that's almost a third of our waking life. According to a 2015 study, we check our phones on average 85 times a day. Tech companies wouldn't threaten their bottom line for nothing - these new features are a response to a very real problem. Even Facebook and Instagram are jumping on board, rolling out tools to inform users on how much time they spend on their apps. They operate on the assumption that if you were aware of how much time you spent, you would do it less. Both tools break down the exact amount of time you spend in each app or app category (like "social media"), and letting you determine an allowance of time per day. After all, tech companies benefit when you spend as much time as possible staring at ads, conversing with friends, and generally generating a crap-ton of personal data.Įven so, both major smartphone manufacturers (Apple and Google) recently announced tools that are meant to help us control the amount of time we spend on our smartphones. That's why they're trying to help you cut back. And you probably know it's not all that good for you. Without thinking, I tap "Ignore Limit." Just 15 more minutes before I fall asleep. "You've reached your limit on Twitter," a full-screen prompt informs me. I stare blankly at the grayed-out Twitter icon on my Home Screen, but I open it anyway. ![]()
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