Twenty-Two Years Behind a Screen

I recently came across a statistic that made me stop in my tracks: on average, we spend 6 hours and 45 minutes a day staring at a screen. Do the math, and that adds up to about 22 years of life—nearly a quarter of our lifetime—spent looking at devices.

Twenty-two years.

When I heard that number, my first thought wasn’t about productivity or convenience. It was about time—the one thing we can’t make more of. It made me ask myself: How do I want to spend the limited years I have on this earth?

Technology Helps… But at What Cost?

There’s no denying that technology is helpful. It keeps us connected, makes work possible, brings us entertainment, and often simplifies our days. I’m grateful for the ways it supports modern life.

But gratitude doesn’t cancel out the bigger truth: technology also consumes our attention, sometimes without us realizing it. If I’m not careful, hours can slip away into mindless scrolling, background noise, and digital rabbit holes. And those hours become days, weeks, and years.

Soulful Questions Worth Asking

The question I keep circling back to is this: What memories am I making that are truly soulful?

Because when I think about the moments I cherish most, they rarely involve screens. They’re the times when I’ve been…

🌱 Rooted in nature, toes in the grass, heart steady.

💧 Open to emotion, whether through music, journaling, or shared tears.

🔥 Lit up by laughter with someone I love.

🌬 Present enough to pause and reflect without rushing to the next thing.

Those are the memories that last. Those are the moments that feed my soul.

Choosing How to Spend Our Years

We don’t have to throw our devices away. This isn’t about abandoning technology. It’s about awareness. About realizing that each hour we spend on a screen is an hour we don’t get back—and then deciding if that’s how we want to spend it.

1. Maybe it means carving out one tech-free night a week.

2. Maybe it means putting the phone down during meals.

3. Maybe it’s as simple as looking up more often—really looking—at the people and the world around us.

Because if the average life holds 22 years of screen time, then maybe the invitation is this: let’s make sure the other years are filled with something richer. Something real. Something soulful.

A Gentle Invitation

I’ll leave you with the same question I’m asking myself:

🌿 What memories do you want your years to hold?

Because the choice is ours. And every moment we redirect from the screen back toward soul is a moment well spent.