Photographer Serena Yang Tracks Her Screen Time For 1 Week

In Chronically Online, Elite Daily asks people to get real about their phone habits by tracking their screen time over seven days. This week, content creator and photographer Serena Yang shares the apps she used the most while working the Belgian Grand Prix and solo traveling to Amsterdam.

There’s no need for Serena Yang to go overboard snagging front row tickets to her fave artists. Instead, the Toronto-based content creator gets VIP access to musicians and once-in-a-lifetime events through her photography. Traveling the globe with her camera, Yang has shot artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Reneé Rapp.

On the road, the 21-year-old also uses her time to share tips for getting the perfect pic at a music festival and show what a day in the life on tour is really like. She has amassed over 111,000 followers on Instagram, 45,000 followers on TikTok, and is a Sony Alpha ambassador. While Yang’s specialty may be concert photography, she recently was invited to spend time in the pit at the Belgian Grand Prix. “I’m fully an F1 fan now,” Yang shared on her IG after spending the weekend taking pics of the race. “Motorsports and concerts are more alike than you think.”

While spending time overseas at the Formula 1 event, Yang tracked her phone usage to give an inside look into what it’s like being a professional events photographer on the go. Below, she shares her most used apps, daily screen time, and the doomscrolling she does while working.

Occupation: Photographer, University of Ottawa student

Age: 21

Location: Toronto, Canada

Weekly Average (July 26-Aug. 2): 6 hours, 40 minutes

Day 1: First Day At The Belgian Grand Prix

On Saturday, I was working at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix, which was such a “pinch me” moment as a photographer. I was running on barely any sleep because I was up finishing an essay for one of my classes at the University of Ottawa — but the excitement had me wide awake. The energy at the circuit was insane; the race track was so gorgeous and unique as it’s nestled in these forested hills.

My work consisted of shooting pictures of our brand activation, running back to the trailer to edit and upload the photos, and reviewing them with our team. Rinse and repeat. For the previous Grands Prix I’ve worked at, I finished the bulk of my shot list on Saturday, so the client had a chance to review and I could reshoot on Sunday if needed. It was a long 12-hour shoot day, but the whole team was so hardworking and encouraging.

Whenever I had downtime, I doomscrolled IG reels. I also listened to music on Spotify when I was editing photos, getting ready, driving, or literally doing anything. My recent faves have included No Way to Relax When You Are on Fire by Dora Jar, any song from Chloe Slater, the F1 movie soundtrack, and also this band I just discovered called LEMONSUCKR.

Most Used Apps: Instagram, F1 Spa GP, Spotify

Screen Time: 4 hours, 36 minutes

Day 2: Getting VIP Access To The Pit

Happy race day! Because I finished most of the brand-specific shots on Saturday, I got to enjoy more of the race on Sunday and get some general event photos in as well. On this day, I shot with my Sony Alpha 7IV camera with my 24-70 F2.8 Sony GM lens, and my 70-200 F2.8 Sony GM lens (wombo combo!). The A7IV is perfect for capturing quick moments with its fast auto-focus, and my 24-70 and 70-200 are the perfect range of focal lengths to get me through an action-packed day.

When I shoot, I like to keep my gear simple and travel light so I’m not completely dead after a 12-hour day. This weekend, I also had paddock access, which was so cool and surreal. I was able to get up close to the pit crew, and even take some shots of the drivers entering the pit lane. As someone who wasn’t super into sports before this gig, I fell in love with the energy and story of motorsports. Such an honor to attend and work the event. Also, Oscar Piastri took home the win for Team McLaren (my faves), so that’s a bonus.

Most Used Apps: Instagram, F1 Spa GP, Photos

Screen Time: 5 hours, 7 minutes

Day 3: Took The Train To Amsterdam

After a long weekend working on my feet, I definitely needed to sleep in. I woke up 10 minutes before check out and made my way back to Brussels, where I then took a train to Amsterdam. My screen time was definitely up this day from all the scrolling on Instagram and YouTube done in transit. I also listened to music on Spotify.

I’ve always wanted to see Amsterdam and it felt so surreal to be here. There were literally bikes everywhere. Whenever I travel, I try to see some live music, so I saw Wine Lips, a rock band I love who are also from Toronto. They were playing the Melkweg, a venue two minutes from my hotel. It was such an awesome show. The mosh pit was so fun, and I crowd-surfed.

Most Used Apps: Spotify, Instagram, YouTube

Screen Time: 8 hours, 41 minutes

Day 4: Solo Traveling And Shopping

Tuesday was my first full day in Amsterdam, and I needed to go shopping. I’m an extremely Type B traveler and hate planning excursions in advance. I’d rather stroll around a new city, coffee in hand, and listen to music on Spotify.

I was staying in the Jordaan neighborhood, where all the best shopping is, and had delicious Dutch fries for lunch. I walked around with my tripod and digicam to get some cute ’fit pics. It’s always a bit awkward to set up a tripod and film on your own in public, but I was in such a beautiful city with so many opportunities for content that I wasn’t wasting that chance. To help, I used Lens Buddy, a self-timer camera app. Amsterdam is such a walkable city, and being from Canada, this was definitely a change of pace.

Most Used Apps: Spotify, Lens Buddy, Instagram

Screen Time: 6 hours, 53 minutes

Day 5: Meeting Up With Another Creator

I woke up super early on this morning to do a canal cruise — it was so cool to be on the water and learn the history of this city. I also met up with my friend Daiki, another travel photography creator who’s based here, to grab lunch and take a photo walk. When I solo travel, I set a goal for myself to meet a new person each time. So far, I’ve been successful.

I also rented a bike and zoomed along the canals using Google Maps. Usually, I’m a fiend for Lime or those other bike share apps, but they don’t have that in Amsterdam because pretty much everyone already has a bike. While biking, I listened to Quinnie’s new album, Paper Doll, on repeat and it’s *so good.*

I had a delicious sushi buffet for dinner and headed to bed early at 9 p.m. The jet lag and no sleep caught up to me, and I really just needed a night to lay in bed and do nothing. I always feel bad doing this when I’m in a cool new place, but sometimes, you’ve just got to listen to your body.

Most Used Apps: Instagram, Google Maps, Spotify

Screen Time: 7 hours, 41 minutes

Day 6: Saying Goodbye To Amsterdam

On my last day in Amsterdam, I went on one final bike ride and did some last-minute souvenir shopping for my friends and family back home. Then, I made my way to the AMS airport, where they have those super high-tech X-ray machines and you don’t have to take your laptop out of your bag. Wow! I usually book red-eye flights, but this one was unfortunately at 4 p.m.; I prefer flying overnight so I can just sleep through it and wake up at my destination, like I teleported. On the flight, I watched some YouTube and TikTok, while also listening to Spotify.

Most Used Apps: YouTube, Spotify, TikTok

Screen Time: 7 hours, 22 minutes

Day 7: Relaxing At Home

I made it home to Toronto late at night, and to be honest, I slept through most of this day. It felt so good to be back in my apartment. I moved in a month ago, but I’ve spent a combined two weeks traveling for the Grands Prix, so I’ve barely settled in. I put on one of my favorite YouTubers, Nicole Rafiee, and got to work unpacking and cleaning.

Most Used Apps: Instagram, YouTube, Spotify

Screen Time: 6 hours, 19 minutes

Final Thoughts: I Need To Set Some Boundaries

After tracking my screen time for a week, I’ve realized I doomscroll way too much (on IG Reels) and am not happy with how much I waste my time on my phone. I open social media out of habit at this point, and not because I’m intentionally looking for something. That’s a part of my job as a creator — to be tapped into what’s going on online — but I could be better about turning my phone off and setting boundaries.

This as-told-to has been condensed and edited for clarity.