2 hours a day on your phone is 5 years of your life

Two hours a day doesn't feel like much. It's a few videos at lunch and some scrolling in bed. Here's what it adds up to over a life.

The maths

1. 1

   2 hours × 365 days = 730 hours a year

   About 30 full days, around the clock. A whole month of every year.

2. 2

   From 15 to 80, that's 47,450 hours

   Over 5 years without a break. Counting only the hours you're awake, it's about 8 years of your life.

3. 3

   Over 3,000 books

   At around 15 hours a book, that's close to one a week for 65 years.

4. 4

   A new language every year

   The US Foreign Service Institute puts Spanish or French at 600 to 750 class hours. Two hours a day gives you 730, every year.

5. 5

   10,000 hours, nearly 5 times over

   The rough number people quote for getting really good at something. You'd have enough for almost five things.

You don't need more willpower. You need fewer chances. Every time an app is one tap away, you have to win again, and nobody wins every time.