How To Reduce Screen Time for Employees

Technological advancement has connected us with multiple digital devices that make our work efficient but increase our screen time simultaneously. Whether you work remotely, or in the office, you have to sit in front of your computer for 7 to 8 hours straight. Spending most of your time on mobile phones or computer screens causes mental and physical fatigue. In 2017, a study reported that 31.7 million people were using their mobile phones actively in Canada. Similarly, 33 million active mobile phone users were recorded in 2019. 

To perform the jobs, employees spend a lot of their time interacting with social applications and computer systems. On average, employees spend almost 9 hours a day staring at their computers. Their average screen time will climb in the coming years because of technological advancement in the workplace. Do you know that investing this much time can cause you short-term eye damage? Following are the ways to cut down your screen time and take a break from digital apps. 

Encourage In-Person Discussions Without Devices

When you are conducting face-to-face discussions, try to stay away from the computer screen as much as you can. In the era of 2022, it's quite challenging to discourage the use of mobile or computer devices either at work or at home. Long meetings with meaningless purposes and boring presentations disengage employees. Thus, they start scrolling their phones and you end your meeting with distracted employees who gained no useful information.  

Encouraging in-person discussions without digital devices will allow employees to focus on the meeting purpose. Regulate strict rules, circulate the meeting agenda and inform employees that no devices will be allowed during meetings. This will enable them to reduce meaningless scrolling and staring on the devices. In addition to this, in-person meetings keep the employees engaged and focused since they know that someone will be standing over them and holding them accountable for meeting outcomes. 

Set A Time Limit For Your Meetings

Long meetings can be exhausting and uninteresting because there are no time limits. Ensure your meetings are effective by setting a time limit. Further, back-to-back meetings also increase the screen time of employees. Establish a strict meeting time limit and include some breaks in between meetings to allow people to stretch their legs. Staring at screens for long hours can cause eyestrain and sitting in the same position results in back pain. Allow your employees to unplug for a while. 

To reduce employee screen time, limit the meeting timing of every presenter. Appoint someone responsible for enforcing the time limit and meeting agenda. In this way, you would be able to minimize rambling and reduce the number of back-to-back pointless meetings. 

Utilize Coworking Spaces To Stay Mindful Of Your Screen Time

Working remotely means spending more than half of your time in front of your computer systems. When you are utilizing coworking spaces, you must know how it can help you minimize your screen time. It is the main objective of coworking spaces to cater to the needs of each individual worker which they usually manage to achieve through the help of different tools including the coworking space software. Whether you are working in a cafeteria or any other social space, make sure to utilize coworking spaces as well with all the conveniences and comforts of the workplace which is being offered to you. Take breaks often as it will boost your productivity level. 

It isn't uncommon to get headaches and eye strain from staring at a screen for a long period. You should therefore take advantage of coworking spaces and flexible working hours to avoid these problems. Further, you can use blue light glasses to prevent eye problems. 

Final Words 

High screen time can cause serious health issues which make employees feel tired ultimately reducing their productivity. Managing screen time is crucial for employees who want to remain healthy and productive. Employees must be aware of all the ways to take care of their health, especially during their working hours. It's nearly impossible to reduce screen time in modern offices because there are so many obstacles. The tips listed above are an effective way to turn the coin in the employees' favor.