Embracing the Secret Power of a Screen Monkey

Today we have a playful suggestion to help limit unwanted screen time on your phone.

Like many, I have read dozens of books and articles on the problems and perils of seemingly endless screen time. While I am utterly convinced that limiting screen time is essential for so many reasons, implementation can be a bit more challenging.

I am not alone, according to a 2018 study (and in now years that was a LONG time ago) the average person in the US picks up their phone 58 times a day and spends 3.5 hours per day on their phone (link in comments). Granted, not all of that is unwanted or unintentional. Still, even if it is, that is a lot of time. If not, that is a lot of time lost to the ether. Thus, how that time spent should be in alignment with what you want from it. Thus, for myself, I recently reintroduced the Screen Monkey.

The Screen Monkey is a very literal interpretation of how to loose the Screen Monkey from your back (or hand) by putting your literal phone, under a literal stuffed money, so that you literally have to pick up the monkey to look at your phone. I think I have now used my allotment of the word literally for 2022.

Here are the very simple and straightforward instructions.

🐒 Buy or borrow (with permission) stuffed monkey.

👀 Place monkey somewhere where you can see it.

👋🏻 Say hello to Screen Monkey

📲 Take phone, turn off notifications (if you can)

📲 🐒 Place phone under Screen Monkey

💥When the urge or need to pick up the phone strikes, tell the monkey why it is so important (i.e. "Screen Monkey I really need to know the locations of where Severance is filmed").

🗣 If it still seems a reasonable thing to do add a "because" statement to it, "Screen Monkey, I really want to know the locations where Severance is filmed because I have a life long interest in the built environment and the building in the opening shot is an austere and exquisite example of High Corporate Modern architecture.

🪞Pause. Take a moment to reflect. Does the because moment still add up?

💭 Alternately, you can ask the Screen Monkey, "is this what I want to be doing right now?"

🤳🏽If the urge holds up to that, by all means pick up Screen Monkey, then pick up your phone.

🏁 When you have satisfied or accomplished the reason for picking up the phone. Give it back to the Screen Monkey. Be polite. Thank Screen Monkey.

🔁 Repeat as needed.

🏣 And if you are working in an office or shared space take that into consideration when talking to Screen Monkey.

😂 Is this ridiculous? Perhaps. Is this any more ridiculous than spending unwanted hours scrolling away? No.

❓Does it work? Yes.

And yes, I had to pick up my phone to take a picture of Screen Monkey.

Do you have another means of managing your screen time? I'd love to hear it.

#elevenminutestomars #screentime #creativesolutions #monkeys