With the amount of devices that are small and can be stored near the bed, it seems almost impossible to go through mornings without screens. Wake up, shut off the alarm on the phone, use the phone to check email, the weather, and the list goes on. While it is incredibly common for the first few moments of a day to be filled with technology, is it a good thing?
I am currently having this debate with my significant other about how long one should wait when waking up (or if one should wait at all) before reaching for a device. Part of the frustration is that when one person reaches for that tablet, the light from the device wakes the other person up. Another part of the issue is that it's not terribly romantic on those days when we're both awake for the first 15 minutes of the day to be spent ignoring each other and tapping at our phones and tablets. We also have developed a sneaking suspicion that our gadget habits could be making us late.
Since we are data nerds at Unplggd we decided to track just how much time we were spending each morning in front of a screen that was prior to starting the work day. Here are the average results for how much time we each spend in front of screens in the morning:
- While still in bed: Smartphone: 15-18 minutes
- Tablet: 10 minutes during the week, 20 minutes during weekends
- Laptop or tablet during breakfast: 15-20 minutes
We were pretty surprised when we looked at the data and found we were spending almost an hour in front of screens every morning! It's no wonder that we are often scrambling at last minute, worried we will be late wondering where the time went. After looking at exactly how much time we were spending in front of screens and thinking about the amount of bickering that they bring we have decided to do something about it.
On weekends we are striving to get our household on board with going screen free for the first 2 hours of the day. During the week we are trying to go screen free for the first 20 minutes with zero screen time spent while in bed. While we have not been successful in this yet we are curious to hear your thoughts. How much time do you spend in front of screens before starting work? What are your thoughts on screens first thing in the morning?
For those who can't get enough technology in their mornings, check out these posts from our archives.
- Grump & Grouch: Optimizing Morning Routines
- The Guide to Better Mornings Via Technology
- Tips, Tricks and Tech to Streamline Your Morning Routine
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For me it's a great thing, since I have poor internal planning/memory. Spending ten minutes on my phone before bed and in the morning to plan out my days has changed my lifelong struggle and finally made it possible to keep up.
I think the key is control, though. Timing your screen use is a great way to make sure you are keeping tech time to useful levels.
It might also help to have a no games in bed rule. When I wake up I ONLY check my Calendar, to do list, and weather. Anything else, including email, is reserved for when I'm up for the day. No "quick check" of the inbox or "just a minute" of playing a game - those sorts of time wasters add up fast.
Wake up, give the SO a kiss, then check e-mail and Google Reader - if the newspaper had been delivered directly to your nightstand instead of the front lawn, you probably would have done the same thing before smartphones, tablets and laptops became ubiquitous...
I shut off my alarm. The weather automatically pops up. I usually peek at my email to see if there's anything glaringly awesome waiting for me, like a gig. So, less than two minutes of time with the phone in bed.
My problem lies in the fact that I work from home. I've been trying to force myself to eat breakfast at the dining table with the newspaper or a magazine. I fail at that 99% of the time and eat at my desk with Google Reader. This lack of easing into work seems to wad up the entire morning until noon, when I actually leave my desk to eat.
I need to make that adjustment to eating at the table. It is SO difficult. (First world problems!!)
I don't have a problem with electronics while still in bed (except listening to my iPod to psych myself up for the work/school day) since the first thing I want to do in the morning is to get rid of that nasty morning breath feeling. Then, I brew a pot of coffee and eat breakfast. I usually turn on my laptop somewhere between washing my face and sitting down to eat my breakfast, and then check my email, check the weather, bring up the bus arrival times, and listen to more music for about 30-45 minutes, depending on whether or not I slept in. Although this may seem to be a huge distraction that may or may not make me late for work/class, I find that it helps me keep track of time better because I am starting a the computer screen and the clock is right there in the corner of the screen. I've actually attempted no-computer/internet mornings a few times, and it just felt weird having to check the time on my phone or iPod.