🖥️ Healthier screen time habits for adults

Plus: Lower prescription drug prices 💊

View this email online This newsletter was written by NPR Life Kit digital editor Malaka Gharib   As the parent of a toddler, I’ve been careful to ensure my kid has healthy screen time habits. I show him educational shows like Sesame Street, make sure we offset screen time with play time, and try not to use screen time as a crutch when he’s upset. I do this because I want my kid to be connected to himself, others and the world around him.    But for all my efforts, one research finding from our recent episode on parental technology habits alarmed me: One of the strongest predictors of a child’s screen time is their parent’s screen time.  It forced me to reflect on my own digital habits, which are … not great. I’m on my phone a lot. Granted, a lot of what I’m doing is related to work or managing our household — answering emails, messaging my kid’s teacher, ordering dinner — but sometimes I catch myself scrolling through Instagram and Facebook Marketplace when I should really be paying attention to watching Cars 2 with my son.   I know we live in a digital age and a lot of great stuff happens on our phones (like FaceTiming Nana!) but I’d love a little help with staying off my devices. If you’re in the same boat — regardless of whether you have kids — we have advice to help.  Healthier screen time habits for adults Olga Aleksandrova for NPR Set better screen time boundaries  ⌚Ask yourself if the request can wait. If you’re getting a lot of notifications but you’re at a family dinner or movie night and you don’t want to be on your phone, do a quick reality check, says Elizabeth Milovidov, a digital parenting coach. “Is this necessary right now? Is this urgent?” If not, save the to-do to tackle at another time.  ✨ Assess the quality, not the quantity of your screen time. If you’re using your tablet to read, do crossword puzzles, catch up on the latest episodes of your favorite TV show or connect with friends, then great. But if you're using it to distract yourself in uncomfortable social situations or scrolling when you can't sleep at 2 a.m., you might want to rethink your habits.  🤳 Limit your “phubbing.” There’s a term for when we turn our attention away from others to focus on our devices: phubbing, or phone snubbing. And it doesn’t feel good to anyone. If you have to use technology in front of your kids or others, psychologist Jean Twenge says narrating what you’re doing and why you’re doing it can help ease any confusion or hurt feelings.  🚫 No phones in the bedroom. I know this is hard for a lot of people, including me. But research has shown that just having your phone or computer near your bed — even in airplane mode — can cause lower-quality sleep, says Twenge.  Help me get offline Newsletter continues after sponsor message More good tech habits from Life Kit Valeriy Kachaev/Spruce Books Quiz: Are you too online? Take this quiz to assess your digital habits — then learn how to engage with your electronic devices in a way that's intentional and appropriate. Take the quiz.  8 good habits that can protect you from getting scammed. Scams can happen to anyone. Experts explain how to safeguard your data and money from being exploited or stolen by fraudsters. Read the story.  Switching to a flip phone isn't as hard as you think. But you might miss having GPS. These lower-tech devices do not include many of the apps typically found on smartphones. But that may be appealing if you're looking to spend less time online. Read the story.  How to crave movement more than screen time. Oftentimes, it's easier to scroll through our phones than do some squats. So what can we do to motivate ourselves to pick movement instead? In this episode of Life Kit, we speak with clinical psychologist Diana Hill and movement specialist Katy Bowman about how to retrain your brain to crave physical activity more than your phone. Listen to the episode.  Your thoughts: How do you support a friend with cancer? Illustration by Kristen Uroda for NPR Last month, we published a story about how to help a good friend with cancer. Some of you shared your own advice on our Instagram. Here’s a selection of responses from readers, which have been edited for length and clarity.  👉 Need to add an important role: TV watcher. Lie on the couch next to your friend. Can't stress how much I appreciated this, especially on days that I was too sick to leave the house. —@pt125 👉 Tell them something good. No matter how big or small, it lifts me up to hear it and see their happiness. You saw a rainbow today. Your kid aced their spelling text. Your spouse got that promotion. Love to hear all of it. —@heidi_makerofthings 👉 Continue to invite me to things. Keep me updated on the gossip. Do a puzzle or board game with me. Go to a movie with me if I'm feeling OK. Still bring that joy into my life. —@hikerpatty 👉 Send cards. Snail mail. Every week. Everyone can do this and it gives the patient something to look forward to. —@jfm0901 👉 Cancer is so expensive, especially if you get diagnosed when you're between jobs or a single mom, etc. My friends started a GoFundMe page when I got diagnosed while I was in the middle of job searching. —@jillhallquist   Support our work & listen sponsor-free Support public media while getting expert advice on health, finance, relationships and more with Life Kit+. You'll get sponsor-free listening and even some specially curated playlists of episodes by theme (Master your budget, Organize your life, Move your body, and more).   Check out all the NPR+ benefits available at plus.npr.org. Explore Life Kit+ In case you missed it Malte Mueller/Getty Images How to repair after a fight with your partner. After a big blowup or recurring fight with your partner or spouse, how do you reconnect? Couples therapist Baya Voce offers a five-step process for couples to make amends after conflict, including what to do if you're still upset and how to make sure both of you get a chance to say what you feel and need. Listen to the episode.  Smart home decoration tips from designer Vern Yip. When you're decorating a room, it can be difficult to identify your personal vision and stay true to it — especially if you have financial constraints or are designing with others in mind. But designer Vern Yip, who has designed on TLC's Trading Spaces and hosts the interior design show Home Reimagined, says that compromising on your taste means you might be redecorating a year from now. Listen to the episode. How to get lower prices on prescription drugs. Prescription drugs can be costly. What are you supposed to do if you can't afford your medication? In this episode, Dan Weissmann, host of KUOW's podcast An Arm and a Leg, shares how to find discounts on prescription medications and navigate the health care system when drugs cost more than you expected. Listen to the episode.    Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: LifeKit@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! 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