This series takes a look at the relationships we have with our phones and the ways we use them in our everyday lives, for better or worse. We ask each subject to share their ‘Screen Time’ statistics with us [iPhone] from the last week and we talk about the results.
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Maddie Thurlow is 21-year-old a mother of two and an SES volunteer.
The ability to record these usage statistics were added to iOS in a recent update and are divided into four sections: ‘Screen time’, ‘Most used’, ‘Pickups’ and ‘Notifications’.
Maddie shared her screen time stats with the Mudgee Guardian.
Does almost three days on your phone sound weird?
“A little bit. Like it’s 3 out of 7 days. No.”
What is you relationship with your phone?
“Need. It’s a need. I think I would die without it.”
Why is it so essential to you?
“Probably because I have all my friends there online that I don’t get to see very often. SES as well, I’m the page admin for our page so I’m always on there to post updates and messages.”
You spent an average of Nine hours 31 minutes average per day on your phone, how do you feel about that?
“I’m kind of a little bit confused. I do have two kids so it’s like ‘how I do I spend so many hours on my phone?’.”
“I think I usually use it when the kids are asleep or of a nighttime and I’m just on my phone until I sleep.”
“I have mixed feelings, but I'm not really bothered.”
How do you communicate with friends and family?
“I use Messenger and Snapchat most of the time. Facebook is mainly to see what everyone’s doing.”
“It’s weird tough, I’d much prefer messenger. Most of the time on Snapchat they’re messaging on the message part anyway.”
How do you think apps like Snapchat have changed the way we communicate?
“Well we’re pretty much anti-social as such.”
“Because you’d rather talk to them or talk to them more instead of going to that person and actually speaking to them. If that makes sense.”
“It makes it harder when you see them in person too, because you’ve both practically spoken about everything online.”
Do you call people less?
"Yes I would say so, because you can just type it. It doesn’t interrupt what you’re doing. You just send a quick message and go and then they don’t have to answer straight away. You can go off and do something. With a call you have to talk (laughs)."
Your most used app after a pickup is Snapchat, why is that?
“If I see it [a notification] I have to [pick it up] (laughs).”
“If I’m off doing something and I don’t see it then it’s no issue but if I see it come up it’s like ‘I have to reply now’.”
You get 267 notifications a day on average
“It definitely doesn’t feel like that much at all.”
“I know I get notifications when someone comments on something. I’m part of a few groups.”
Note: Snapchat does send two notifications per typed response sometimes.
Do you have any goals you'd like to set around managing usage?
"I could probably reduce it a little bit. I don’t know I’ve looked into selecting a time to stop using an app or something. I’m just not phased."
What about your kids? Will you restrict their screen time?
"I see some of my friends, they just put their kids in front of the TV to quiet them. My never sit still. They’re almost one. I would prefer them outside to TV or whatever."
"I don’t think I’d be one of those parents that would get them technology early."
