Who controls our attention?                      

We spend hours in front of screens without noticing it. We check our phones when we wake up, throughout the day and before going to sleep. What seems like a natural and everyday habit is now raising questions among students: how much control do we really have over our attention?

Matías Badilla (23), a Comparative Politics student in Bergen, has made the decision to delete all his social media.

– I no longer have social media. I deleted everything, and of course, my screen time dropped a lot.

The decision was not impulsive. Before deleting his accounts, he had already started questioning the amount of time he spent on his phone and how it affected him.

– It really affected me to see the amount of trash people post, there are a lot of horrible things online. Sometimes it ruined my day.

Even so, he admits that his relationship with technology is still present.

– The first thing I do when I wake up is check the news.

Like many students, he describes his phone use as something automatic. However, recognising that pattern was key to changing it.

– I realised I was spending two hours on Instagram just entertaining myself, and it's too much. Deleting it felt very liberating.

Between connection and isolation

Beyond screen time, the type of content also plays an important role. Manuel Torres (20), an exchange student from Mexico City studying Economics, agrees that algorithms shapes what they see.

– It’s very obvious. After interacting with one video, you get very similar content, Torres says and adds sometimes it’s so obvious that I even reject it.

Despite being constantly connected to their phones, both students point to effects on their daily relationships.

– It feels like people are not really paying attention to you, even in moments of silence, everyone is on their phone, Torres says.

Badilla notices something similar in public spaces.

– On the bus or the tram, you can see how strange it is to be scrolling endlessly. It’s too much information in just a few seconds. It doesn’t really enter your brain, it just overwhelms you.

In this context, the phone becomes a way to avoid discomfort.

– If there is even a bit of silence, we immediately take out our phones, Badilla adds.

Addiction or habit?

Both agree that social media use can become difficult to control.

– It’s a drug. It’s short-term pleasure, but afterwards you feel low on energy, like you wasted your time, Torres says.

He also describes a physical sensation after long periods on social media.

– It’s a kind of exhaustion, not only visual but mental. You feel like you didn’t do anything.

Badilla reaches a similar conclusion:

– You realise it’s an addiction, almost like a drug.

Taking back control

Despite the influence of algorithms, both students highlight the importance of individual awareness.

– Think about why you are there. What are you actually doing that is so important on social media? Badilla says. 

From this perspective, small changes can make a difference.

– Put obstacles in place. Make it harder to open the apps, he explains.

Torres also mentions practical tools to improve focus, such as “Do Not Disturb” mode, using a grayscale screen or techniques like the Pomodoro method.