In the last two years, the daily screen time for teenagers has skyrocketed to an average of 7 hours and 20 minutes per day, excluding schoolwork. Whether this screen time is used for learning new things or for entertainment, it is a stark reminder that teens spend around one-third of a day on their devices.
This is a concerning trend. Although the smartphone poses a great threat by distracting you, the solution here isn’t simply throwing your phone away. Your phone can be your worst enemy or your best friend; it can steal hours of your life or become a great tool.
Therefore, this issue calls for the implementation of grayscale mode—a solution that can help curb your phone addiction.
What is grayscale mode?
Grayscale mode is an accessibility feature on most devices that transforms all colors on the display to different shades of gray. Essentially, it changes your phone into a mini black-and-white TV.
The benefits of grayscale
1. Grayscale will reduce how distracted you are:
One of the most attractive things about your phone is its vibrant color. There is a reason why notifications are red and the interface of every social media platform is colorful. Turns out, color itself is a huge dopamine trigger. Phones are built to capture attention quickly and stimulate the brain’s prefrontal cortex, manipulating the unhealthy release of dopamine. This causes people to get addicted to their phones.
Going grayscale eliminates this manipulation and stops you from getting hooked. According to ex-Google design ethicist Tristan Harris, the founder of Center for Humane Technology, going grayscale removes the visual appeal of the screen. Unimportant friend texts lose their urgency, advertisements become less effective, and social media platforms are less addictive. You can finally control your attention instead of being glued to your phone.
2. Grayscale will also improve sleep quality:
Grayscale mode not only eliminates the vibrant colors but also the blue light emissions on your phone screen. Blue light is emitted in all colored screens. Without turning on grayscale mode, it can interfere with the body’s release of melatonin (a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles) and stop you from falling asleep. This black-and-white filter can help maintain the body’s natural circadian rhythm, leading to better sleep quality.
3. Grayscale will allow you to be more present:
With a monochrome phone in your hand, you will first notice how dull it is compared to your hands and fingers. This color difference enables you to notice and appreciate the rich colors of real life. Shifting the focus from your phone to reality allows you to live in the present more. It all starts by setting your phone to grayscale mode and noticing the world around you.
How to go grayscale
On an iPhone, you can toggle grayscale mode by opening the Settings app and following this funnel:
Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Color filters.
Once you toggle the Color Filter switch, your iPhone has successfully turned grayscale.
On any Android phone, head to:
Settings > Accessibility > Color and motion. From here, select Color correction and then Grayscale.
My personal observations
As someone who has used grayscale mode for over three months and counting, my screen time on my phone has dramatically decreased from an average of three hours to 1.5 hours per day.
In addition, my monochrome phone has also allowed me to soak in the authentic colors in life. Turning on grayscale mode empowers me to immerse in the present and focus on the world around me instead of the world on my phone.
Ultimately, going grayscale is a path to establishing a healthier relationship with your device and spending more time being present—more time free from the shackles of your phone.
Great article. Thanks. Very clear and thanks for describing how to turn your phone grayscale. To make it more informative, a couple of more sources would be a plus.