Spending time helping the environment (and getting community service hours), is a great alternative to screen time.

According to a study conducted by Forbes.com, teenagers spend an average of 5.3 hours a day on various social media platforms. Instead of spending this precious time scrolling life away, here are some things one can do instead.

Physical fitness:

Whether it’s in the form of taking a run, going to the gym, or taking a workout class with friends, it is always important to stay in shape. It is recommended that adolescents ages 13-19 should spend at least one hour a day working out. Some recommendations to get this hour-a-day include a pickup basketball game, a pilates class, or even a run on the beach with a dog.

Find a Hobby:

Creative activities like painting, writing, music, or digital art can be incredibly fulfilling ways to spend free time. Other hobbies such as trading sports cards or fishing can be just as fun, These hobbies not only allow someone to express themselves in unique ways but also improve cognitive functions and emotional health. Join a local art class, fish on a local bridge, or even learn an instrument.

Community Service:

Students are no strangers to the help that community service provides to a college resume. Spending one of the “social media” hours volunteering at a local food bank or doing a beach cleanup will not only benefit the environment but will also strengthen a  college resume. Find ways to give back to the Palm Beach Gardens community through various efforts.

Prepare for college:

Once a student departs for college, mom and dad are no longer around to help tie a tie or cook dinner. It is important to learn these valuable life skills before living away from home. Learning how to cook healthy meals, how to manage a budget, and other basic skills such as time management can help prepare a student for college.

Family Time:

In the digital era, it is extremely common for teenagers to be hyper-focused on their screens rather than their families under the same roof. Instead of spending time scrolling, look to play a board game, watch a movie, or just talk about things important. Not only family interaction, but face-to-face interactions with friends will be much more valuable than texting over a phone.

Spending the countless hours that are lost every day on social media to do something productive will prove much more valuable to personal development. Think, has someone ever thought “I wish I spent five more minutes on TikTok.” Remember, social media is not completely bad, but spending over three hours a day on it is not healthy for anyone.