Today I decided to use the down time feature for the first time. This feature allows the user to restrict the use of certain apps, or all apps, for a specific amount of time. The motive is to encourage a healthier technology usage lifestyle. Social media has become such a way of life, that it consumes everything about us; our mental health, our quality of life, our perception. Lately, I’ve been feeling a lot more drained, sad, and anxious when it comes to my busy schedule and all that encompasses it..Instagram and Tik Tok being a part of that. In an effort to see a positive, more productive change in myself, I woke up today and decide to test the feature out.

The screen time section in iOS is rather new to the software, as I believe it was first integrated into it a year ago. I see lots of youtube families talk about how they use the screen time app to either be more self-disciplined or as a child-lock “protection” sort of feature. I appreciate this feature, because it’s super simple to understand and it gets the job done. The interface itself was simplistic, it allowed me to easily choose which apps I wanted restricted and for what time each day of the week. Once my down time started, all of the restricted apps turned a shade of grey, and if I tried to open them I would get a message saying “you’ve reached your time limit for this app,” which initially gave me anxiety, but it then drove me to focus more on my lecture and self-reflection. This was the first step towards a happier, healthier mind and spirit, and I’m looking forward to my down time tomorrow.