Summer's Around the Corner: Are You Ready?

🗓️ April 17 2026

✍🏾 Gabby Ervin 

Let's be honest; people telling you to "just get off your phone" is unrealistic. Between classes, group chats, internships and apps like TikTok and Instagram, being online is a part of daily life. However, everything in life needs balance, including screen time, and with summer around the corner, there's going to be an uptic in screent time hours. 

So, in order prevent you from doomscrolling your summer away, here are some tips and tricks to help limit your screen time!

Step 1: Figure Out Where Your Time is Actually Going

It's very easy to see how many hours of screen time you had and not know where it all came from. Use built-in tools like: 

• Screen Time (iPhone)

• Digital Wellbeing (Android) 

And determine what apps you are spending the most time on and try to limit use going forward. 

Step 2: Set Limits That Are Realistic 

Many times people will make a commitment to cutting back by 1-2 hours immediately however, thats not always realistic. Instead of jumping to an extreme, start by trying to cut back 20-30 minutes a day and work upwards from there. 

Step 3: Create "No-Phone" Zones or Times

Now I understand that we need phones to live; we communicate with loved ones, receive work emails and even read the news all through our phones. Completely eliminating them from out lives is not realistic. However, create times during your day where you set a hard boundary to not use your phone. Here are some suggestions:

• No phone during meals

• No scrolling within the first 30 minutes of waking up

• No phone while outside 

Limiting your screen time isn't about being more disciplined, it's about being more intentional. There is so much to do during the summer; you can go to the pool, take a hike, visit a farmer's market, play outside, etc. Don't let your phone keep you from experiencing all your communitiy has to offer. So, be sure to uplug for a little bit every day and enjoy the summer like never before!