Start with a comparable week
Select a normal week and note anything unusual: travel, illness, a deadline, or a change in work. Screen-time totals can help describe device use, but they do not tell you whether a session was useful, necessary, or distracting. A video call with family and an aimless feed session may both add time.
Keep the device and measurement window consistent when comparing weeks. If a report includes several devices, note that scope. Changing from one phone to all devices can make the number rise without a comparable change in behavior.
Find the device’s report
On iPhone, start with Settings and Screen Time. Apple’s current guide for setting up Screen Time for yourself explains activity reporting and device sharing; labels and controls can differ by software version.
On Android, Google’s Digital Wellbeing guidance describes activity information such as app use, unlocks, and notifications, where supported. Availability and menus vary by device. Use the official instructions for your device rather than assuming every setting exists.
Add the missing context
| Review question | A useful note |
|---|---|
| Which app took the most time? | App name and the report’s date range |
| What was I using it for? | Work, connection, entertainment, or a specific task |
| When did use feel unplanned? | Situation or time of day, without a judgment |
| What do I want more room for? | One activity I value |
| What could I change this week? | One realistic adjustment |
You can write this on paper. There is no need to upload your screen-time report or disclose your messages, searches, or contacts. If you share a screenshot, remove information you do not intend to make public.
Choose one experiment and review it
For example, try a clear stopping point for one kind of feed session. Or reduce notifications from one app that often interrupts an activity you value. Write down what you changed and review both the time data and your experience after another comparable week.
A shorter total is not automatically a better week. Look for a closer match between your intentions and what you did. Use the scrolling intention plan to make that connection concrete, and keep adjustments small enough to continue when life gets busy.
Put the guide to work
Small, practical experiments for deciding what you want from your feed and making time for it. Keep what helps; change what pulls you off course.
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