Every Sunday morning without fail, IOS users get a notification from their phone alerting them of how many hours they spent on their device over the course of a week. This tracking function is not-so-adoringly referred to as “Screen Time.” As Deerfield students are left cooped up in their homes with no river to swim in, rock to climb, or small loop to run, many have seen an exponential rise in their screen time, especially on certain apps. So use this as a sort of horoscope, but trust me—it is much more accurate than a horoscope.
30 minutes per day: If you are only on your phone for 30 minutes each day, you are probably an android user. You hate all forms of social media and any social interaction in general. You are finishing up your seventh 1000 piece puzzle of quarantine, and you have yet to watch a single TikTok. You boast a high honors average, but my advice to you in the coming weeks is to put down the books and pick up the phone. FaceTime (or Zoom) a close friend or two, maybe even Snapchat too! Staying close with those you care about is so much more important than that “P” on your DAinfo page (just make sure you don’t fail).
1-2 hours per day: Enigmas. If you are only spending just over an hour on your phone per day, I really do not know what else you are doing. I mean we are in quarantine, what else is there to do? You definitely have not downloaded TikTok or any games and only check your phone to respond to snaps and texts. I admire you, but you are impossible to read. But you definitely wear class dress to Zoom classes—that much I know.
3 hours per day: I applaud those at the three-hour mark. I really think this is the sweet spot. You probably spend over an hour on FaceTime with your best friends every day, maintain a healthy SnapScore, and have a great taste in music. Your kryptonite is the Instagram explore page, which I have really never understood, but you can spend hours on it.
4-6 hours per day: I would have to say this is where about 85% of my readers will fall. Over half of your screen time is spent on TikTok with the other half being split between Instagram and Snapchat. You are mainstream but chill nonetheless. You have definitely picked up a couple of dances over these past few weeks and binged Tiger King in one day. Keep doing what you are doing, and you’ll get through this quarantine with a healthy dose of humor.
7 hours per day: Why 7? Go big or go home at that point guys, come on.
8-9 hours per day: If you are spending this much time on your phone, you are probably TikTok famous. You spend more time on your phone than you do sleeping, but still stay in your pajamas all day. Your snap score definitely exceeds 1,000,000, and you struggle to put your phone down even when you’re working out or eating. I fully support your phone usage, but I would recommend some healthy separation with your device to ensure that when you return to school in the fall, you do not experience severe withdrawal symptoms.
10+ hours per day: I would recommend seeking professional help.