Lately, I've noticed how much I'm picking up my phone with zero purpose. Out of curiosity, I looked into my average screen time for the week and my jaw dropped. It was embarrassing.

Thankfully it wasn't just me, a few of my friends were saying that they find themselves on their phones a lot more these days too. That still didn't make my 5 hrs 25 mins spent with my head hunched over my phone okay in any way!

The mindless scrolling on useless apps needed to be cut down. No phone until after breakfast and at least two hours before bedtime.

Another more fun idea (which I'm stealing off my friend Sam) is signing up for Rosetta Stone, a language learning app. I can't help picking up my phone throughout the day (out of sheer boredom) so this way I can make my screen time beneficial and learn a few new Italian phrases.

Sam is loving Rosetta Stone, I on the other hand had zero expectations. It could be a fun new hobby to learn Italian without having to take actual classes or deal with the pressure of vocab quizzes. Plus I won't feel guilty being on my phone when I'm on Rosetta Stone.

Signing up was easy and the classes are only 15-30 minutes per day and you can download them to do anytime, wherever you are. After a few days I really got into it. The lessons are actually fun and they build upon each other, making them interesting and keeps you coming back. I really wasn't expecting advanced features likeTruAccent® and Phrasebook but they're extremely helpful for grasping a new language.

A month after downloading Rosetta Stone, not only have I managed to spend less time scrolling on my phone but I can now hold a basic conversation in Italian. I can't believe how many phrases, sentences, and Italian words I now know. Rosetta Stone made it so easy to learn a new language while showing me how to use my screen time in a constructive and beneficial way.

If this is how much I can learn in only 4 weeks, I'm excited to see where my Italian skills will be in another month.

Here are a few more reasons why I'll be keeping the Rosetta Stone app;

It's convenient, you can use it any time, anywhere, whenever it suits you.

Lessons are only 15-30 mins, which makes it easier for your brain to absorb the material.

The TruAccent® feature helps you perfect your pronunciation- it shows you exactly how accurate you are and how to improve.

The Phrasebook is super helpful by telling you out loud how to say short, useful expressions.

The Seek & Speak feature makes it fun with scavenger hunt-like activities.

When you sign up for Rosetta Stone's annual plan, you get access to all 24 of their languages.

It's Affordable, an annual subscription is only £7.99 a month.

The folks at Rosetta Stone want to show their thanks! Here's a special offer for our readers only: Get Unlimited Languages For The Price Of One!

Discrete, Chris Collins - Better Days (Official Music Video)

Swedish producer Discrete teamed up with Chris Collins on "Better Days," from his forthcoming debut EP, EXPLORE.

Discussing the track, he said: "I met a fifteen-year-old Chris Collins five years ago, and we must have written hundreds of songs together since then. Other projects sent us in different directions, but we reunited in the studio last fall. We wrote 'Better Days' from start to finish in 17 hours straight." Iridescent synths buoy Collins' smooth vocals, as he narrates the collapse of a long-distance relationship.



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