The Screenome: A Key Measure of Digital Hygiene

Have you ever seen a typical teenager use their phone?

They dash rapidly from text messages to Candy Crush to Instagram and back to text.

It's tempting to use your device like a flip book because dopamine (a key motivating neurotransmitter) is rewarding you for doing so.

But have you noticed what happens to your mind when you switch between apps so rapidly?

We've all heard of screen time. Companies like Apple are starting to realize that the amount of time you spend on their devices affects your mental health.

But there's something even more essential, yet hardly talked about as of this writing: your screenome.

What’s a screenome?

Your screenome is a measure of how often you flit between different activities on your device: windows, apps, emails, etc. In other words, it's an indicator of your digital hygiene. Researchers at Stanford University's Screenomics Lab found that people switch screens, on average, every 20 seconds!

Here’s a sample of someone’s screenome as they use their phone over three minutes (condensed into 30 seconds).

Research demonstrates that such task-switching places a heavy cognitive load on your memory, decreasing working memory and increasing stress levels, not to mention making you much less productive. Screenomes have a profound impact on your mental fitness.

You may have experienced that burned-out, short-attentional, headachy feeling after using a device this way. It's like you need to click more things and open more tabs to feed some insatiable drive for dopamine until suddenly you can't pay attention to even one paragraph.

Single-tasking eliminates this feeling. Just like the devices you use, your brain is most efficient with only one program running at a time. It frees up your “RAM” and allows you to harness the full power of your mind.

Here’s another frightening bit of media displaying screen use of 30 people over a 75 hour period. Each little line is a new screen:

Ideally your screenome would show just a few big rectangles as you hone in on the activities that matter most and remain focused there.

While researchers at Stanford are busy studying the impact of digital media with the Human Screenome Project, we don’t have to wait for those results to come out. Just by observing your own mind, it quickly becomes clear how harmful constant screen switching can be.

How to Manage Your Screenome

To manage your screenome requires constant vigilance whenever you use a device. There are infinite apps and websites to access, so you have to prevent your mind from going straight for novelty and reward (dopamine).

Here are a few easy ways to manage your screenome.

First, before picking up the device, ask yourself what your intention is. What do you want to accomplish? It doesn’t have to necessarily be productive; maybe it’s just to enjoy an article on Reddit. But whatever you intend to do, stick to it and notice when you’re tempted to veer off in a new direction.
Notice the trigger. Inevitably your mind will get triggered, wanting to do something that gives it more stimulation. Maybe it’s a notification, a catchy ad, or just a moment of boredom. See if you can spot this when it happens and then ask yourself whether that new task is really worth doing.
Once you’ve completed your activity, go back to step 1, setting a new intention.

By carrying out these very simple steps, you’re living more consciously and intentionally. This technique requires mindfulness, the act of paying attention to where you pay attention.

But again it’s not just where you pay attention that matters but also how you pay attention. You’re constantly exercising your attention throughout the day in what’s called experience-dependent neuroplasticity. By managing your screenome, you’ll train strong attention muscles.

Your screenome may be more important than your screen time in terms of its impact on your mind.

Being deliberate with your attention and training a fit mind requires a lengthy, disciplined screenome. The fittest mind would use a device exactly as intended and then move on to the next deliberate task without getting roped into multiple activities.

So when you feel that urge to switch into a new tab or app, ask yourself if that’s really how you want to use your valuable mental energy and attention. From ads to notifications, view everything as a pitch for your attention. In truth, very few of them actually deserve it.

They're like obsessive fans yelling at a celebrity to get their attention for a photo. Do as the celebrities do: put on your shades, keep your head down, and stay focused on what matters most to you.

P.S. — And now, a pitch for your attention (but hopefully a worthwhile one). To begin training your attention with meditation, check out FitMind, a mental fitness and meditation app.

The Screenome: A Key Measure of Digital Hygiene

What’s a screenome?

How to Manage Your Screenome

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