Aussies spend almost 17 years of their lives on their phones

We spend a third of our live in bed, but how much time do we spend looking at our mobile phones? A new report says we’ll spend almost the same amount of time with our eyes locked on our phones.

The report from reviews.org says we’ll spend up to 16.6 years of our lives scrolling through our phones. The survey took data from 1,000 Australians who responded to the survey on their usage habits, with reviews.org taking into account other factors like the time we spend awake, life expectancy and more. 

The data shows the younger we are, the more time we spend on our devices, with Gen Z spending up to 7.3 hours a day, while Baby Boomers spend as ‘little’ as 2.9 hours.

Kim Anenberg Cavallo, the Executive Director and co-founder of Unplug Collaborative—home to the National Day of Unplugging, about how Aussies can cut down on screen time: “Create an engaging, tech-free zone in your home where screens are nonexistent and mobile devices will not follow you. Fill that space with analog games, puzzles, books and magazines and any creative projects you are eager to do… It’s easier to leave technology behind when you have something fun and meaningful to engage in.”

The National Day of Unplugging has been around for over a decade and is an awareness campaign that promotes a 24-hour respite from technology annually observed the first weekend in March.

A third of your life is a long time to spend doing anything, so what can be done to lessen the time? Ms Cavallo says you should “Create an engaging, tech-free zone in your home where screens are nonexistent and mobile devices will not follow you.”

The space can be filled with board games, puzzles, books, magazines, crafts and you should swap out the books, games etc. regularly.