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Mixed race family playing together leaving screen time behind after setting doable goals through the SMART method.

Unplug & Refocus: The SMART Method for Cutting Screen Time

You’ve recognized that your screen time is out of balance, and you’re considering an adjustment for yourself and your family. But how do you know where to start?

I had an hour and a half before my next meeting – just enough time to complete a project that had been lingering. I needed to text one person quickly to confirm an appointment, so I picked up my phone for that simple task and noticed that I had new notifications on one of my digital profiles. 

*Forty-five minutes later* 

I’m still scrolling through social media … what am I doing?! I just wasted all of the time I needed to complete my project.

It’s not the first time that I’ve gotten sucked into screen time, and it was just another confirmation that I needed to adjust. But how? I use my phone for so much. Where do I start?

Making a Change

It’s easy for us to recognize the need to adjust how much screen time we use; maybe it’s binge-watching a show you only meant to watch one episode of or scrolling through trending posts when you only meant to look up that last recipe you pinned. Or maybe you wanted to look up a how-to-fix-something tutorial but got enticed by a trailer for the latest movie instead. Now, you’re not accomplishing what you set out to.

Trying to quit everything can feel extreme and is often unrealistic because of what we do need technology for. It can be hard to know what changes will be sustainable. 

This is a great place to apply the SMART goal method.

Light Blue Image outlining Smart Goal method in an effort to help with realistic goal setting for screen time. SMART Method being Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

Print out this freebie SMART Goals Worksheet as we walk you through applying SMART goals to decrease your screen time.

Every time you write out a goal it increases your confidence that the Goal is achievable for you.

Brian Tracy

Specific

Generalizing with phrases like ‘we need less screen time’ doesn’t provide a clear target for change. Start by addressing one or two areas where you want to see the most change. 

Here are a few specific goal statements that you could consider:

  • “I don’t want the first thing I do every day to be reaching for my phone.” 

…so I am going to shift to an alarm clock and leave my phone in the kitchen at night.” 

  • “I want our family to be distraction-free at the dinner table.”

…so we’ve declared dinnertime a ‘no-phone zone’. This statement applies to other technology, too, so ensure the TV is off and no tablets or gaming devices are in use. 

Measurable

Once you’ve identified the specific goal, you have something to work toward and celebrate when you’ve achieved it. 

Our family created a weekly chart to help us implement our family goals, and tracked our progress toward a chosen reward. We simply put a checkmark next to the day we achieve our goal.

  • One of our measured goals with a reward was 5 days in a row with no technology at the dinner table. On the 5th day, we went out for ice cream as a family. 
  • Another goal we were able to measure was setting parameters for our daughter’s screen time. We allowed for 30 minutes a day and added the rule that she could only get it after all her homework and chores were done. We bumped it up to 2 hours for the weekend, which typically includes a movie. 

Achievable

When we’re frustrated and realize we need to adjust, we can often jump to extreme measures and make statements that sound more like, “No more technology in the house!” 

While that would definitely force change to the system, overarching goals that encompass everything with no margin are nearly impossible to keep. We will end up using technology, and because of failing at the impossible goal, we will miss the little goals we could have set that would have been impactful. 

  • We decided to remove smartphones from the bedside table and switch to using alarm clocks. This was a ‘specific’ goal that we thought was achievable, but a week into our plan, there was a tornado warming in the middle of the night, and we missed the alerts. We both agreed that at least one phone was needed in the room at night for emergencies. A practical need – safety for our family – made our original goal unachievable, so we adjusted it to no phones until after coffee, which was a more achievable goal.

The hope is that you’ll set a few goals and try them. You won’t know fully if your goal is achievable until you try it and start to recognize the blocks that come up, which will require you to adjust as you go. 

Relevant

One of the most significant markers for achieving your goals is that they are relevant to you! 

Setting goals for yourself that you’ve heard others use would only be beneficial if they apply to you. If you can turn off your cell phone alarm without checking your notifications, you might not need to limit phones on your nightstand. If your family already has healthy practices around dinnertime that you are happy with, keep doing what works. 

To set relevant goals, assess where your most significant offenses happen. 

  • As a writer, when I have a deadline, I must switch my devices to airplane mode so I can create a space without interruptions. I don’t always need uninterrupted time; in the field I work in, most of my time is interrupted when a crisis happens. So, I first had to assess when those interruptions were a problem- when I needed to focus on writing. Then, I set a goal that directly addressed the problem that is relevant to me. 

Time-bound

Creating a time-bound goal means you have a specific block of time from when it starts to when it ends so you can measure whether you have succeeded. Time-bound goals often depend on the season you are in. Because your lives and circumstances are continually changing, to maintain healthy perimeters during those changes, you’ll need to be flexible and able to make adjustments. 

I like to use the ‘measurable’ and ‘achievable’ parameters to help me set a good framework for time-bound goals. 

  • Once I’ve achieved my measured goal of five days without technology at dinner for an ice cream reward, I’ll shoot to repeat that goal for an extended period. 

After a month, I re-assess how the goal is working. Has it accomplished what I hoped? If not, do I need to adjust it? For example, our family made it a whole month without technology at the table, and now it’s not a time-bound goal we are shooting for, but instead, a new habit of the actualized practice wanted to get to. To stay on target, we all do our best to honor the rule and remind each other of it when needed. 

The SMART Method can Help with Screen Time Habits

Some goals will be long-term goals that can help you develop the new pattern, and some will be temporary, only meant to move you into a different season. Just because you fail the first time you try, doesn’t mean you can’t change; it might only mean you need to start with a smaller, more achievable adjustment that gets you closer to your end goal.

Another tactic to achieve your goals is to stack them over time by utilizing the first two, specific and measurable, together. For example, maybe in month one, you shoot for tech-free dinners. If you hit that marker, add another goal next month – no phones on the nightstand. Several months later, you’ll have progressed to more sustainable changes because you made slow changes with achievable targets. 

It isn’t hard to see that we all need to modify our screen time, but that can feel daunting without a clear path for change. 

If you are considering adjusting your use of technology, try SMART goals. One step at a time can help you work toward the bigger goal—living with a balanced and beneficial use of technology. 

Angela Imhoff Bio Photo

Authored by: Angela Imhoff

Angela Imhoff is on staff at New Heights Church, serving as the Celebrate Recovery Ministry Leader. With a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy and extensive training in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Angela is passionate about helping believers consider how emotional health influences their faith. She and her husband co-host The Connecting Couples Podcast and enjoy working together to build stronger marriages in their community. They live with their daughter in Fayetteville, Arkansas.