If you’re a millennial or know a millennial, it will likely come as no surprise to hear that millennials have made a habit of wasting time due to technology—but did you know how much time exactly?
A recent article from Forbes highlights three key ways that millennials waste time without even knowing it. Here are the three bad habits that millennials should avoid to make the most of their time, especially at work or industry events. Meeting planners—millennial or not—should also stay up-to-date on the issue, especially when encouraging phone or social-media use at events. Perhaps a digital detox is more important than ever.
Phone Play
Surprise, surprise, a 2016 study followed the device usage of 100,000 people over a five-day period. The taps, swipes and clicks by participants added up to a whopping 2,617 times a day that the average user touched their phone. An additional study correlated that the lower the age group, the more their usage became, according to Forbes. Removing excess apps and push notifications, while also making a point to leave cell phones behind when, say, going out to dinner or even to the bathroom can free up time for more valuable experiences and interactions.
Making & Flaking on Plans
This younger generation has made a habit of trying to be everywhere at once—and it’s not a good thing. Technology makes it easy to create events and organize plans, which in turn, makes it just as easy to break said plans. Studies show that 16 percent of Americans cancel plans via social media, with 43 percent reported doing so between the ages of 18 and 24. This kind of flakiness leads to apologies, guilt and a whole lot of time wasted.
Selfies, Selfies, Selfies
Documenting every little moment and meal has become a basic obsession among millennials, and research shows that this “spontaneous” act can take an average of 16 minutes a selfie, especially after all the lighting, editing and posting is considered. When some people are doing this several times a day, well, you can do the math…
Whether or not you’re a millennial, you’ve likely been guilty of engaging in some of these time-wasting habits. Identifying bad habits in yourself and your surrounding peers is the first step in focusing efforts to a more productive mindset, and what could be better than that?
