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Digital Wellbeing: Creating Healthy Tech Habits - Cheat Sheet

Signs of Digital Imbalance

  • Physical: Sleep disruption, eye strain, reduced physical activity
  • Psychological: Device anxiety, compulsive checking, difficulty concentrating
  • Social: Checking devices during conversations, preferring digital over in-person interaction
  • Productivity: Digital distractions, losing track of time online, starting day with social media

Attention-Capturing Design Techniques

Technique
How It Works
Examples
Variable Rewards
Unpredictable rewards create dopamine hits
Refreshing feeds, notification badges
Infinite Scroll
Removing natural stopping points
Social media feeds, video platforms
Social Validation
Leveraging need for approval
Likes, comments, follower counts
FOMO
Creating anxiety about missing content
Stories that disappear, limited-time offers
Interruptions
Breaking concentration
Push notifications, alerts
Autoplay
Removing decision points
Video streaming, music services
Personalization
Creating uniquely compelling experiences
Recommendation algorithms

Environment Design Strategies

  • Create phone-free zones in your home
  • Keep devices out of sight when not in use
  • Charge devices outside the bedroom
  • Organize home screen to show only essential apps
  • Disable non-essential notifications
  • Use grayscale mode to reduce visual appeal
  • Set up app timers for potentially problematic apps

Habit Transformation Strategies

  • Start your day with a non-digital activity
  • Wait 10 minutes before responding to non-urgent notifications
  • Take tech-free transitions between activities
  • Ask “Why am I doing this?” before opening apps
  • Create a list of engaging non-digital activities
  • Share digital wellbeing goals with others
  • Take regular digital breaks or “sabbaths”

Attention Protection Strategies

  • Check email and messages at scheduled times
  • Use Do Not Disturb mode during focused work
  • Close unnecessary tabs and apps when working
  • Try the Pomodoro Technique (focused work sprints)
  • Regularly declutter your digital life
  • Practice meditation to strengthen focus

Digital Wellbeing Tools

  • Built-in Tools
    • Screen Time (iOS) / Digital Wellbeing (Android)
    • Focus Mode / Do Not Disturb
    • Night Shift / Night Light
    • Downtime features
  • Third-Party Apps
    • Forest (gamifies staying off your phone)
    • Freedom (blocks distracting websites/apps)
    • RescueTime (tracks digital habits)
    • Moment (helps families manage screen time)

Balanced Perspective Principles

  • Technology itself isn’t the problem; it’s how we use it
  • Different people have different digital needs
  • Perfection isn’t the goal; small improvements matter
  • Context matters; sometimes more technology use is appropriate
  • Digital wellbeing requires continuous adjustment