Set up limits to gain freedom

        Because 95% of the teenagers have access to a phone (Anderson) the ones who say they don’t even have one are regarded as aliens. Teenagers are spending more and more time in the virtual world of internet and are leaving their real life. It is important to say stop and try to reconnect with what surrounds you. If you admit you spend too much time in front of a screen, here are some ways to regulate the use of the internet: declare free tech zones and times, set a specific length of time per day, and don't forget handwriting lessons and books while studying.

        Your cellphone is constantly with you: everywhere at every hour of the day. Most teenagers don't realize it, but this absolutely doesn’t help you to disconnect even if you are very willing to. The temptation is too close and it is so easy to take your device and check your messages. The first step to limit the time spent on your phone is to set times and zones where you won't use it (Joyce). You take the responsibility to put your phone far away from you during these times and places. For example, turn off your phone while eating, for two hours; while doing your homework; and one hour before going to bed. You could decide to bring your phone in your bedroom only if the Wifi is turned off, so you are free to develop your creativity without the non-stop noises of the notifications and just take real time to relax. 

        The next step to follow is to put a limit on the time (Joyce). Well, it is easy to declare free times and spaces but it is not enough. Usually, it is to have a clear conscience and to please parents that we try to set some limitation rules. Teenagers always find a way to get around them because the rules are not taken seriously. For instance, you can decide to stay on your phone where and when you didn’t set a limit, still having 6 hours of screen time at the end of the day which is far too much! On your phone, if you can record your screen time, you can also limit it and choose for your whole day to spend only two hours in total on it. After these two hours the phone will block itself. Some young people might not like this method, but it helps you to manage your time.

        Finally, we must face the great dilemma of the use of devices at school. The use of technological support has recently increased in schools, and young people abandon little by little their notebooks and pens for more practical devices in which they type all their lessons (Swain). The problem is that working on computers, and so on the internet, increases the temptation of watching videos, checking mails, chatting with friends and playing video games. As a result, the attention of the students decreases, but the desire to spend more time online grows. The point isn’t to stop literally this use, because it is part of our future and its changes, but to regulate it. It is said that “handwriting has a deeper level of learning” and giving up handwriting has sometimes negative effects (Swain). Books and notebooks have their advantages: remember their benefits of being screen free and keep the balance between traditional and interactive ways of learning.

        To conclude we always come back to the same idea: have a balanced use of the internet. We can’t escape from our time and the future is clearly directed by technology. Still, we must always keep in mind to stay connected to our real life and to regulate our screen time. These are the ways that will lead you to more appreciate the world in which we live and your own, beautiful, life.

Marie-Lys Kress

        Works Cited 

Anderson, Monica; Jingjing Jiang. “Teens, Social Media & Technology 2018”. Pewresearch.org. Pew research Center. 31 May 2018. Web. 15 Mar. 2021.

Joyce, Amy. “Teens Say They’re Addicted To Technology. Here’s How Parents Can Help.” Washingtonpost.com. The Washington post. 3 May 2016. Web. 12 Mar. 2021.

Swain, Harriet. “Does Writing By Hand Still Matter In The Digital Age?”. Theguardian.com. Guardian News & Media Limited. 7 Mar. 2018. Web. 21. Mar. 2021.