I’ll be the first to admit it: I’m minorly addicted to my phone. 

I never forget my phone anywhere (knock on wood), and not because of my stellar memory. I usually lose things very easily — there are at least 20 people out there right now enjoying one of many jackets, water bottles and various knick-knacks I have left out and about. But not my phone, because the second I’m not at home and my phone isn’t in my hand or my pocket, I feel it. I just know.

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In my defense, I’m not alone. Nearly 57% of Americans admit to being addicted to their phone. Keyword: admit. I’d argue closer to 80% of people are addicted to their phones in some capacity. And, considering Gen Z spend an average of four hours and 15 minutes on their phones daily, I’d bet it’s even higher for us.

Did I sit passively by and let addiction take hold of me, sucking me into the vortex that is my For You Page? Well, for a bit, yes. But one night, everything changed.

My roommate and I were having our typical evening chat, lightly scrolling between exchanged words, when my Instagram time limit came up. I had set app limits for myself, but as usual, I pressed the big fat “Ignore” button. At that moment, I thought about how useless that time limit was. I barely even noticed it pop up. I recalled when my mom would restrict my app usage, and very strangely missed those days.

I was also hit with the startling reality of my lack of self-control. I knew I set that limit for a reason. I didn’t want to be on my phone, yet I couldn’t pull myself away. Then, it was as if a giant light bulb appeared above my head.

I asked my roommate to add a password to my already generous time limits, so I was forced to adhere to my own rules. Those time limits quickly became less generous when I did a simple, but dare I say, life-changing calculation. 

Let’s pretend you sleep for eight hours each night — emphasis on pretend — and you spend two hours per day out of the other 16 on social media. That would equate to waking up and doing nothing all day but watching TikTok and scrolling on Instagram for 45 days of the year.

That information honestly left my jaw on the floor. I joked to my roommate that I wanted to write the words “45 days” all over our room just to remind myself how much time I waste on social media. 

Of course, it hasn’t been seamless. I had to ask my roommate to text me the password when she’s not home more times than I’d like to admit. She said she’s running out of four-digit codes she can actually remember. Luckily, we’ve been able to keep the same password for about the last month, so I’m improving.  

Slowly, I’ve noticed that I’m more productive, get to sleep earlier, am in a better mood and spend more time doing anything other than mindlessly scrolling. Most of all, it feels good knowing I’m not wasting my life on social media. 

Of course, social media does have benefits. It’s a great place to stay connected with friends, find community and have a laugh. But too much of anything is unhealthy. For me, social media is best in tiny doses.

This has been my greatest life hack yet, and I encourage anyone who’s unsatisfied with their screen time and feeling trapped to give it a try. You can also ban certain apps at certain times, like after midnight, to ensure you are getting enough sleep or staying focused in class. I just added this to my array of limitations. 

Staying off my phone means I have more time to go outside, read a book, talk to my friends and try something new — all of which I find infinitely more valuable. I encourage you to think about what’s important to you. Breaking the cycle is easier than you think; all you need is a roommate and a little motivation.