Your Screen Time is Embarrassing, Might as Well Spend Some of That Time Saving the Planet

Let’s be honest, your screen time has never looked worse. Your Tinder which you like to say goes largely unused, still manages to reap up 30 minutes a day. I know, I know it’s entertaining, and you just use it for your daily ego boost. 2020 was the year where you promised to shut off all devices by 8pm, integrate meditation into your night time routine and end the night by tucking into that book. You know, that book that’s been a nightstand accessory for at least two years. You don’t know how you got to this point, but every night you find yourself stuck in a cycle of thirst traps and dance challenges on TikTok. You tell yourself this is the motivation you need for hot girl summer, as your arms reach for that stale pack of pizza shapes that you left underneath your bed the night before.

It is not my place to tell you to decrease your screen time, or to instill more wholesome life habits into your night time routine. If anything, mine is probably worse than yours. All I’m saying is since we’re all spending so much time on our phones, we might as well put it to good use.

I am all for minimal effort. The least possible work for the best possible outcome. This year, I only set two goals for myself. These goals were to become more financially literate and to invest in platforms/businesses that would make conscious strides towards sustainability. So here are just a few apps, platforms and podcasts that can help point you to a more sustainable future.

Good On You

We all know the implications of fast fashion and how damaging it is on both an ethical and environmental level. However, it is often difficult to understand the true ethos of a brand when there is such a lack of transparency and accessibility. If you are just as frustrated as me, I couldn’t recommend more the Good On You app. This app rates how ethical apparel brands are out of five using labour, environmental effect, and animal usage as its criteria. It’s also a great place to seek out alternative brands when you realise your favourite pair of worn out jeans aren’t that sustainable.

Ecosia

Ecosia is an eco search engine that uses their profits to plant trees. To begin with, I was a bit sceptical about using Ecosia. Ecosia has received an abundance of criticism about being a browser hijacker that inserts ads into search results. But this claim is true for any search engine, including Google, Bing and Yahoo. The difference is that Google just re-distributes their profits to their investors instead of planting trees.

Brown Girl Green

Created by activist host and speaker Kristy Drutman, Brown Girl Green addresses the intersection of media, diversity and environmentalism. Through interviews with leaders and advocates, the conversations focus on inclusion, climate crisis solutions and more.