A Reddit user who was spending up to eight hours a day on their phone, primarily scrolling social media videos, reveals how switching their device to greyscale after 6pm dramatically reduced their screen time and helped them overcome addiction.
Almost everybody with a smartphone is guilty of doomscrolling from time to time - particularly when there's nothing else to occupy them. However, the minutes spent staring at a screen can rapidly spiral into hours, with Britons' average screen time now reaching almost 7.5 hours a day, according to an IPA survey.
Feeling embarrassed by their own habits, a self-confessed phone addict revealed how they managed to overcome their addiction, claiming that one straightforward settings change made all the difference. They wrote on Reddit: "I'm honestly ashamed to write this... but my screen time was averaging eight hours a day . It was completely destroying my focus and relationships.
" Detailing their usage, they described spending an hour and a half scrolling in bed each morning, followed by another 45 minutes on their phone during coffee breaks or mealtimes. Their "quick check" after work would typically amount to another two and a half hours on their phone, while their "10 minutes before bed" would frequently stretch into two hours. They confessed to even waking during the night and scrolling for an hour before drifting back off to sleep.
On top of this, they admitted to spending roughly another hour and a half throughout the day for no particular reason. They added: "I finally hit my breaking point when I realised I'd spent an entire Saturday just... scrolling. Like literally the whole day was gone.
" Cutting down on screen time While the NHS does not set a single, hard numerical limit for adult recreational screen time, NHS trusts and public health guidelines generally advise capping screen use at two hours per day. To achieve this, the phone addict employed four strategies to reduce their screen time.
However, the one that had the most significant effect was switching their phone to greyscale after 6pm. They said: "I absolutely hate how it looks... which is exactly the point. Everything becomes so much less appealing when it's not designed to hijack your brain with colours and notifications.
" In addition to this, they introduced a social media ban between 9pm and 9am, established screen-time restrictions, and substituted the habit with pursuits they genuinely found enjoyable. They added: "This was huge. You can't just remove something without filling the void. I had a stack of books I bought months ago just sitting there, so now I keep one with me for those random five-minute gaps.
"My keyboard was literally gathering dust in the corner. Now I mess around with it for 20–30 minutes most days, and it's honestly more satisfying than any video I've ever watched.
"I've been texting old friends I'd been meaning to reach out to but never did because I was too busy being 'busy' on my phone. And I'm actually learning Spanish instead of just saving 'learn Spanish' videos that I never watch again.
" Fortunately, everything worked out brilliantly, and they report they now have "so much more mental energy". They added: "I'm not constantly anxious about missing something. And I'm actually doing things I've been saying I wanted to do for years.
"Still not perfect, but going from eight hours to 90 minutes feels like getting my life back. "
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