How do you manage screen time for yourself?
I’ve never been much of a scroller. My time on screens tends to have purpose — writing, reading, thinking through issues, responding to people. This blog is one example: an intentional space where I reflect, rather than react.
Screens are woven through my day. I read the morning papers online, spend most of my work hours in front of one, and watch the news at night on a bigger version of the same thing The challenge isn’t avoiding screens; it’s remembering what I want my attention to serve.
So I build in counterbalances. I start early, writing before the demands of the day begin. I walk the dog each morning, talking to her and the people we meet along the way. Meals are screen-free — a time to look up, to sit with whoever is nearby, to notice the person alone at a table and join them. Many are watching something as they eat; that never stops me. People are always happy to talk when you sit with them.
Throughout the day, I find small ways to reset. I throw a ball for the dog, step outside, get some sunshine. When I travel, I take public transport and resist the pull to fill the silence with scrolling. There’s something grounding about simply sitting, watching, and taking everything in.
For me, managing screen time isn’t about counting minutes. It’s about deciding what deserves my attention — people, conversations, the texture of a day that’s lived rather than viewed. The screen can connect, inform, and create. But it can also consume. Attention is the hinge. Where it turns, the rest of life follows.
The Afterword 
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