Apple's newest software update, iOS 12, rolled onto devices on October 8. Perhaps one of the more underacknowledged features is Screen Time. Built into the Settings app, this technology keeps track of how much time you spend on your phone per day and even offers a breakdown of time spent per app. You can even set time limits in different categories that will prevent you from being on certain apps longer than you choose. Apple's website says its purpose is "so you can make the most of how you choose to spend time on your iPhone." This has launched in the midst of similar features on Facebook and Instagram as a part of a "digital wellness" movement.

This feature intrigued me, so I went ahead and set some limits for myself. One of the biggest things I use my phone for is to check social media. Though your time limit can be anywhere between 1 minute and 23 hours, I decided to set social media at 1 hour, thinking there was no way I'm on social media for that long (ha). I also set a second limit for games at 30 minutes.

A couple weeks in, and I can say that these limits have perhaps made me more aware of how much time I spend on my phone, but it really hasn't changed my behavior. I frequently reach my 1 hour limit on social media well before the day is over, so I simply ignore it and carry on. This completely defeats the purpose of the limit in the first place, of course, but I always justify my behavior, like if I'm expecting a message from someone.

I find myself frequently checking my Screen Time statistics and am repeatedly blown away by how much I actually use my phone. I'd always thought I didn't get many notifications and generally wasn't on my phone that much, but the statistics suggest otherwise. Of course, the more notifications, the more you're on your phone too.

Perhaps an obvious claim, social media is allegedly more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol and fosters issues like anxiety, depression, and low self-worth. (Yikes.) So no wonder me, and others, feel the need to limit ourselves on social media.

Perhaps Screen Time is a step towards limiting phone use, and hopefully, it actually works.