We're great at convincing ourselves that we are master multitaskers, but the truth is that switching back and forth between tasks isn't the way to be productive. Study after study has come out about the myth of multitasking (as in, we're not good at it), and social media is a big culprit. If you're being less productive, that can cost you big. And the more focused you are, the higher your productivity, and the higher your potential for increased earnings or a coveted promotion. Sometimes it pays to switch off your phone and dig in.
According to Market Watch, the average American adult spends over eleven hours per day in front of a screen, watching videos, reading articles, and scrolling through social media. That's most of the typical person's waking hours! They say time is money, but how does that really break down here? Let's say a person makes $10 per hour. If they spend 11 hours each day on social media, that's $110 per day down the drain or $550 in a typical 5-day workweek.
Now, that's not to say that you should spend every waking hour working, either. But if you're finding that you don't have enough time to spend with your family and friends, or pursuing hobbies you love, it may be that excessive screen time is to blame. Try downloading an app that tracks your screen time and let it run for a week. You might be surprised by what you discover.
FOMO is the new keeping up with the Joneses. Fear of missing out hits millennials hard, but every generation had its own version. Don't let FOMO push you to decisions that go against the gains of budgeting and frugality.
Just like looking over the white picket fence to see Mr. Jones's new car led to overspending in the middle of the 20th century, so can scoping out the lavish-seeming lifestyles of Instagram influencers bust your budget in modern-day. Don't let that kind of thinking creep into your life. Instead, focus on what you do have and how it enriches your life.
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