The balancing act of screen time
The quality of time you spend online is incredibly important to your wellbeing, so is the quantity; too much screen time could mean you are neglecting other important things in your life.
Use this advice to help you consider what the right amount of Instagram usage is right for you, and explore some tools to help you set limits. The goal is to make the most of all of your time, online or offline.
Using digital wellbeing tools
Check your measurements
There is an easy way to see how much time you are spending on Instagram. Head to your settings page and tap on “Your Activity.” You’ll see a dashboard with the average amount of time you spend on Instagram. Tap any bar to see your time for a specific day. Surprised by what you see? You might benefit from cutting back.
- Go to your profile and tap the 3 horizontal lines.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Your Activity. If you can’t find it here, tap Account > Your Activity. You’ll see the average time you spent on Instagram in the last week.
Set a reminder to log off
If you want to cut back on your screen time, you can set a daily reminder that will alert you when you’ve been on for a certain amount of time. Try shaving off ten minutes a day.
When you set a time limit, you might find yourself being more thoughtful about what you do on Instagram.
- Go to your profile and tap the 3 horizontal lines.
- Tap Your Activity > Set Daily Reminder.
- Choose an amount of time and tap Set Reminder.
- Tap OK.
Be in the moment
Sometimes having your phone around can distract you from really experiencing and enjoying what’s going on around you. Remember, you don’t need to post in real-time. Try taking a few photos and then putting your phone away so you can really be present, then sharing them later with your thoughts.
You’re less likely to make a typo.
Mute notifications to help you focus
If you have trouble ignoring notifications, turn them off. Try muting notifications during times that you want to be offline. It can also be helpful to physically put your phone away in a drawer or another room during meals, hangouts or study sessions.
- Go to your profile and tap the 3 horizontal lines
- Tap Your Activity.
- Tap Notification Settings.
- Tap the icon next to Pause All and select a time. You can also tap a type of notification (example: Posts, Stories and Comments) below Pause All to turn off those kinds of notifications.
Give your phone a bedtime
If you have trouble falling asleep, it could be because you use your phone too much late at night. Your brain needs time to rest. Try putting your tech to bed about an hour before you hit the hay.
…And a wakeup time
Checking your phone first thing in the morning isn’t necessarily bad, but you might want to experiment with an a.m. routine that puts self-care at the centre. Try doing a few things—showering, having breakfast, brushing your teeth—before you go online. You’ll be more awake and able to interact with people, and you might get to school on time!
Instagram Help Centre
Got a question on how to any Instagram features? Visit the help centre for more support.
Free to be Me Top Tips
See these Safer Internet Day tips to help you explore and express your online identity safely.