I got my first mobile phone in Year 7. I didn't have any social media back then. I really just watched YouTube. I've only had Instagram and TikTok since Year 8.
I spend about an hour and a half to two hours on social media. My feed is mainly full of sports and gaming videos. Sometimes I see political stuff too, for example about war, but not that much. If someone claims something that's obviously not true – for example, that the Third World War is starting tomorrow – it upsets me and then I sometimes write in the comments that it's not true or that it's a lie. I've had replies before, but usually I just leave it at that.
My parents have set a rule: I'm allowed to use my mobile for two and a half hours a day, no matter what I'm doing. At the end of the week, they check my screen time. Sometimes they also look at which apps I've installed and what's on my mobile. If I've spent too long on my mobile, I get less time the following week.
Actually, I don't think it's that bad, even if it's a bit annoying at times. Without this rule , I'd probably spend much more time on my phone – maybe four hours a day. But I don't have any apps that block anything. My parents just have a look with me every now and then to see what I'm looking at on Instagram.
Sometimes, when I'm scrolling, I realise: I actually wanted to do something else, but I just keep watching videos. Then I put my phone away and go and see my colleagues, for example; when I'm doing something like «skiing», I don't find it hard to put my phone away.
When we play football, I do have my mobile in my jacket pocket, but I don't need it at all then. At school, we have to hand in our mobiles or leave them at home. I actually think that's a good thing, because otherwise everyone would probably just be on their mobiles or messing about.
It's actually happened before that I've fallen asleep with my mobile in my hand.
When I'm doing my homework, it does happen sometimes that my mobile is lying next to me and I suddenly find myself checking it briefly. In the evenings, I sometimes spend a bit of time on my mobile or listen to a podcast to help me fall asleep.
It's actually happened before that I've fallen asleep with my mobile in my hand. I sometimes use social media simply to take my mind off things when I can't be bothered with anything else. But when my screen time runs out, I do get a bit annoyed for a moment – though at the same time I'm glad I'm no longer on my mobile.
