Being a Smart Screen User

Using your phone a lot as a teenager does not mean you are wasting your life; what matters is using it on purpose. The screen habits you form now will shape how well you can focus in college and at work. 27 ______ First, decide on your phone-free hours before the day begins. This rule is important. Do not wait to see how much time is left after scrolling, because usually there is none. So, as soon as you get home from school, put your phone in another room for the first hour of homework. 28 ______ If you do not hear the alerts, you will not be tempted to check them.

Next, work out the real cost of an app. This idea can change the way you see your phone. 29 ______ For example, if you watch short videos for two hours a day, ask yourself: "Is this worth fourteen hours of my week?" Very often, we realise that the time could have gone to a hobby, a sport or simply more sleep. 30 ______ At the same time, you will have more hours for revision as well.

Another thing to think about is the quick checks you make throughout the day. A glance at a message every few minutes can break your concentration more than one long break does. Ten short checks an hour add up to over a hundred interruptions a day! You do not have to delete every app, but you must know how you use them. 31 ______ You may be shocked to find how much of your day goes to something as small as a class chat group or a puzzle game. 32 ______ Reading a novel or cycling with friends is not only relaxing but often better for your health. It is also popular these days to join weekend clubs where phones stay in a basket by the door. Be a smart screen user: you will not only feel calmer but also have more time for what matters.

Sentences A to H

A Another easy and useful habit is to swap some screen time for offline activities.
B Useful apps can be those that look like games but actually teach real skills.
C Thinking about your time in this way will slowly reduce the urge to keep scrolling.
D Here are a few steps to help you take back control of your time.
E Rather than counting minutes, work out what else you could have done in those hours.
F Switch on your phone's focus mode so that notifications are silenced automatically.
G Teenagers might find it difficult to reply to every message quickly.
H Check your phone's weekly screen-time report to see exactly where your hours go.