Have you ever thought about your screen time? Well, Caitlin Begg, a 31-year-old sociologist from New York City, realized hers was out of control. She spent around eight hours a day glued to her phone!
This all changed one morning when her phone ran out of charge, and she reached for a book instead. Immediately after diving into her reading, she felt a shift in her mindset. “I felt lighter and more present throughout my day!” she recalled.
Fast forward to now, and Caitlin has flipped her mornings upside down. Instead of scrolling endlessly, she now dedicates that time to reading, which has cut her screen time down by an impressive 65%, limiting it to just one hour a day!
Besides ditching her phone in the AM, she also decided to take a significant break from TikTok, even offering up her headphones in public spaces. Caitlin believes that our relationship with technology and city life plays a big role in our feelings and mood.
“Since September 2022, I’ve made it a point to start every morning with non-fiction before jumping on any screens,” she said. Depending on her schedule, it could be a quick few pages or a full hour of reading.
For Caitlin, this shift almost instantly helped her reduce what she refers to as “phone brain.” She explained that without the morning phone hustle, she now feels more grounded. “It’s like my brain doesn’t need to juggle a million things anymore,” she stated.
Earlier, her mornings were a chaotic burst of notifications and scrolling. “Sometimes, you just need to stare out the window or enjoy a few minutes of silence instead of diving into your phone,” Caitlin advised.
Her decision to say goodbye to TikTok was actually straightforward. She felt weary of the constant feed of content making daily life seem like entertainment. “Couldn’t remember the last time I picked up my phone first thing in the morning”—and now she doesn’t miss it one bit!
On top of limiting phone usage, Caitlin also quit wearing headphones out in public about eight months ago. She tracked her subway experiences and found that 70% of her rides were plagued by “smartphone noise”—be it music, videos, or notifications keeping everyone on edge.
“Ever since January 1, 2025, I have noted every bit of smartphone noise during my travels, and it really makes you think about our technology dependence.” She explained how they end up isolating us while we’re fishbowl-prisoned on the subway, plugging in headphones, seeking quiet.
Caitlin’s wisdom for anyone wanting to lower their screen time is pretty simple: keep your phone out of the bedroom. “My golden rule? No phones in the bedroom, at all. If you share your space, leave it in the hallway or bathroom to reduce temptation!” She encourages folks to laser-focus on their screen usage and consider what they could do instead.
“If you normally find yourself scrolling for two hours on TikTok, challenge yourself to replace that time with something enriching like going for a walk or hanging out with friends instead,” she concluded.
