Have you ever blamed your phone for your constant scrolling? Have you ever stopped to ask, maybe it’s my fault? Maybe the tech company that designed my phone, tablet, or laptop has nothing to do with my scrolling habits? 

As consumers of technology and media, we often blame the app or the device we are using rather than look inward at our usage and habits. What if the solution to our phone or social media addictions is right in front of us? Literally on the same device we are spending hours a day on? It is important to reflect on that while tech companies manufacture and design the products much like any other product, it is up to us as consumers to decide how much we use them and how they can impact us. 

I also think it’s important as consumers to remember that, at the end of the day, companies are just doing their job, and it’s also up to us as consumers to create and maintain a healthy relationship with these products. Tech companies are also helping us by creating features on their devices to help us develop healthier habits and disconnect. Apple has created a monitoring system that tracks the amount spent on its devices and is even broken down by app usage. Apple also managed to create a more diverse variation of their “Do Not Disturb” feature, which allows the consumer to let certain apps and notifications be blocked for a specific time. When buying a new product from a tech company, we often spend hours or even days researching what the product can do for us, but how often have we stopped and considered how we are using the product?