Time management apps have always been around but because they’re third-party apps, there was also the option of not downloading it. Then came iOS 12 and its Screen Time feature, which unless you turned it off, would be recording every minute on every app, every notification and every time you pick up your phone. But Screen Time came at a very dire time. How often do you sit at a restaurant and notice almost every person there, even in the company of others, is on their phone? How often is that person you? There has also been news that excessive use of social media could lead to depression. Screen Time is here to make us aware of our smartphone habits and whether you like it or not, it’s time to face your number. Or in this case, we faced ours.
CAI MEI KHOO, editor-in-chief
screen time reports – cai mei
Based on the report, what is your most used app?
“I’m on WhatsApp the most because I’m constantly on the go and it’s the main app I use to communicate with my family, friends and colleagues.”
In reality, what is the one app on your phone you can’t live without right now (besides the usual ‘essentials’)?
“I can’t decide what’s the one app I can’t live without but perhaps it’s Google Maps or Waze, and Apple Music, which is what I use on flights.”
What’s the last app you downloaded?
“The last app I downloaded is a photo editing app called ‘I Love Film’. I’m always on the lookout for fun photo apps. This one allows for different film filters to be added to your photo and effects like light leaks.”
The average number of pickups per day?
“146 pickups per day.”
Total notifications and from which app do you get the most?
“1,237 notifications per day. With WhatsApp coming in at first place with over 1k notifications.”
What do you have to say about your own Screen Time report?
“My screen time increased by 19% this week, perhaps because I’ve been travelling (currently away in Tokyo on a work trip). Given the nature of my job, I’m on my phone a lot—but it seems the average person spends about 5h per day on their phone, making my screen time pretty decent after all. As much as I’d like to cut down time spent on social media, it is also a tool of communication for me. That said, I think I can easily go a couple of days without checking Instagram.”
RACHEL AU, lifestyle editor
screen time reports – rae
Based on the report, what is your most used app?
“Instagram. I’ve been challenging myself to upload a photo a day for 2018 but also, this was partially recorded during a trip to Tokyo so cue plenty of Instagram Stories and updates.”
In reality, what is the one app on your phone you can’t live without right now (besides the usual ‘essentials’)?
“This is a tough one. Honestly, I’d be in a pickle without Waze but who wouldn’t be in this age, right? Maybe oneSafe. It’s a password manager app that also strongly encrypts every information you store with it. Considering how many accounts we have these days—shopping sites, social networks, work accounts—it’s hard to keep track. And you’re not supposed to use the same password for all. The app can also generate a strong password (a real mumbo-jumbo of words) for you. It’s password-locked (the one you definitely need to remember) and snaps a photo of anyone who attempts to log in, with the option of self-destructing if exceeding a certain number of attempts.”
What’s the last app you downloaded?
“Touch Retouch. The App Store has recommended it to me a few times under the ‘Today’ tab so I recently caved in and bought it since it sounded so convincing in being able to remove unwanted objects in photos—power lines, a photobomber, a random object, you name it. It kind of works unless it’s a very “littered” background.”
The average number of pickups per day?
“114.”
Total notifications and from which app do you get the most?
“1,877—WhatsApp alone contributes 698, followed by Instagram (which I’m clearly on a lot!).
What do you have to say about your own Screen Time report?
“I evidently have a strange addiction to zombie games. To be fair, totalling almost five hours a week can’t be that bad considering it includes the weekend. And as for Netflix, this was because I was at the airport and a plane that didn’t have any movies I wanted to watch. Also, my husband and I use my phone to watch shows during dinnertime. #notdefensive. But okay, I guess I should tone it down on Last Day on Earth (but it teaches me the skills needed for a zombie apocalypse!)”
WEI YEEN LOH, senior fashion & beauty writer
screen time reports – wei yeen
Based on the report, what is your most used app?
“Instagram! I have a pretty decent data plan every month (20GB, if I recall correctly) and I automatically tap on the app every time I’m bored, waiting in line for something, or just plain restless. (I can’t help it if I want to know what everyone is doing on IG Stories!)”
In reality, what is the one app on your phone you can’t live without right now (besides the usual ‘essentials’)?
“The one app I’m currently hooked on is ClassPass—since I’m signed up on a plan and am constantly scrolling to pre-plan my workout routine a week in advance.”
What’s the last app you downloaded?
“Netflix, because I recently subscribed, and have acquired a newfound vice of bingeing on series (like Brooklyn Nine Nine) before my bedtime.”
The average number of pickups per day?
“148 per day.”
Total notifications and from which app do you get the most?
“2,150, the majority from Whatsapp (I communicate a lot.)”
What do you have to say about your own Screen Time report?
“Seeing the total number of hours on social media apps surprised me a fair bit. I am aware that I Instagram too much for my own good, but it never occurred to me that it was on this scale… which begets a certain new year resolution for 2019. And also, to be aware of my incessant habit of picking my phone up even when I don’t really need it.”
SU FEN TAN, senior writer
screen time reports – su fen
Based on the report, what is your most used app?
“For someone who rarely updates on Instagram, I’m clearly on the app too much. It’s a really bad habit (that I’m trying to break), but almost every time I have time to kill, I find myself just mindlessly tapping through Instagram Stories.”
In reality, what is the one app on your phone you can’t live without right now (besides the usual ‘essentials’)?
What’s the last app you downloaded?
“I was recently on a long-haul flight with no in-flight entertainment, plus I usually have a hard time sleeping on flights too—Netflix to the rescue!”
The average number of pickups per day?
“98.”
Total notifications and from which app do you get the most?
“755—mostly from WhatsApp.”
What do you have to say about your own Screen Time report?
“If it wasn’t for the fact that I was on holiday for the first half of the week, my screen time could be a lot higher, though I don’t think it is necessarily a bad thing—so much of our work and life involve communication through the phone these days. But it is something that I am consciously trying to cut down on, especially when it comes to mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. Here’s to keeping it at an average of two hours each day.”
STEPHANIE BOEY, fashion writer
screen time reports – steph
Based on the report, what is your most used app?
“Surprise, surprise—it’s Instagram. I didn’t need Screen Time to tell me this, I already knew I spend way too much time on the app but I didn’t think it would be this high (clocking in close to 19 hours a week is INSANE). I’m guilty of checking Instagram several times a day—when I get up in the morning, before I go to bed at night and whenever I’m free during the day. I average about two hours a day on weekdays which isn’t too bad considering the nature of my work but I do most of my damage on the weekends.”
In reality, what is the one app on your phone you can’t live without right now (besides the usual ‘essentials’)?
“Podcasts—I listen to a session every day during my drive to work. Stimulating conversations by your favourite speakers and leaders first thing in the morning puts one in the right headspace. I try to clock in extra research time by listening to my favourite fashion podcast channels. My favourites are Business of Fashion, Wardrobe Crisis and Fashion No Filter.”
What’s the last app you downloaded?
“Socar, a South Korean car co-sharing app licensed by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia. It allows you to book a car from their impressive fleet ranging from a compact 4-seater Mini Cooper to a 7-seater Honda BR-V. I have a car but am curious about the concept and its trajectory. With rising living costs and traffic congestion from the number of cars on the road, will car-sharing be the new mode of transportation?”
The average number of pickups per day?
“127—not bad though too many times for my liking, to be honest.”
Total notifications and from which app do you get the most?
“Let’s just say WhatsApp has the highest amount at 683 notifications. To avoid unnecessary pings, I mute unimportant groups and sometimes even archive them if it gets out of hand.”
What do you have to say about your own Screen Time report?
“A tad excessive. Cutting down on social media definitely makes the top of my list in my 2019 resolution. I’m also going to resist picking up my phone unnecessarily and aim to cap my screen time to five hours a day.”
YI SUEN CHONG, art director
screen time reports – shan
Based on the report, what is your most used app?
“Facebook! I’ve been using it to watch a lot of videos but only on one particular day in the last week.”
In reality, what is the one app on your phone you can’t live without right now (besides the usual ‘essentials’)?
“Believe it or not, it’d be Activity. It helps me to be in check with my workouts, calories burnt and all the other information that I need to know about my body.”
What’s the last app you downloaded?
“Audible. It’s an app that plays audiobooks! I wanted to listen to one of the books by Josh Kaufman called How to Fight a Hydra.“
The average number of pickups per day?
“99! That’s more than I thought.”
Total notifications and from which app do you get the most?
“WhatsApp takes the cake with 708 notifications.”
What do you have to say about your own Screen Time report?
“I’m shocked to see that I pick up my phone on an average of 99 times a day! And that I spent so much time on Social Networking apps. It has definitely made me more aware of my phone habits. Something to think about!”
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