It can often be hard for people to disconnect themselves from their phones. It seems those little blue light screens control their everyday lives. It is common for people to open their phones in search of one thing and suddenly they find that they have been scrolling for hours. 

Staring at a screen for a long amount of time can have negative effects on people’s mental health, sleep, the way they think and even their social skills. 

“The average American spent about three hours and 30 minutes a day using mobile Internet in 2019,” said Healthtalk.unchealthcare.org.

 In the long run, it may be helpful to find an alternative activity that will help keep the mind busy and entertained; I decided to try reading. This past year I have slowly begun to put my phone down and replace it with a book, especially before bed. By doing this, I have discovered a variety of spectacular books. Should one find themselves interested in reading, I highly recommend “November Nine” by Colleen Hoover. At this point I would be more surprised if someone has not heard of her, as she has recently grown in popularity with the help of TikTok. A couple of her more popular books include “It Ends With Us” and “Ugly Love.” Today I am recommending “November Nine” as I feel it does not receive enough praise for how good it really is. This story between Fallon and Ben is a whirlpool of emotions. It will make the reader happy, angry, confused and by the end, they are bound to be rooting for the couple. 

The book begins with Fallon arguing with her father while out to lunch. Fallon was severely burned in a house fire and because of this, her father believes her career is over. All of a sudden Ben (who is a stranger to Fallon) swoops in pretending to be her boyfriend. Although Fallon’s confused at first, she decides to go along with it. After getting to know each other, the two plan on meeting up every Nov. 9. This date is the day they meet as well as the anniversary of Fallon’s fire. The catch is they are not allowed any contact at all in between. They are to strictly live completely separate lives until Nov. 9. With this arrangement they are each benefiting, Ben will be able to write their story for his book and Fallon will have something good to take her mind off of the fire. 

Hoover’s words make it almost impossible not to fall in love with the two. I truly did not want to put this book down. Not only is this book extremely enticing but, there is also a jaw dropping plot twist. And for a special bonus, Hoover ties in the characters from her book “Ugly Love” (so give that a read beforehand!). 

By simply putting the phone down and finding something else to do, people can reduce their stress levels and improve their mental health. In a study conducted by the University of Sussex, individuals who had read for merely six minutes exhibited slower heart rates, less muscle tension and reduced stress levels. If someone is not interested in reading there are plenty of other options for them to choose such as hiking outdoors, yoga, drawing or even just chatting with friends. Regardless of what it is, everyone should make it a priority to limit their screen time.