We’re inextricably connected to our phones, a fact that most Americans would agree with. According to a survey conducted by Reviews.org, the average American checks their phone 205 times a day—that’s about once every five minutes during waking hours. What’s more, 43 percent of participants said they’re "addicted" to being on their phones, which is quite concerning since excessive phone use can lead to poor mental health and a decline in cognitive functioning, as outlined in a new study.
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Research indicates that limiting phone use boosts mental health, well-being, and attention span.
The secret to living a happier, more fulfilled life is taking a vacation from your phone, according to a new study published in the scientific journal PNAS Nexus. Results suggest that breaking up with your phone’s social media apps, streaming services, and internet-driven platforms (like email) leads to improvements in mental health, subjective well-being (life satisfaction), and cognitive function.
"Smartphones have drastically changed our lives and behaviors over the past 15 years, but our basic human psychology remains the same," paper author and marketing associate professor Adrian Ward said in a press release. "Our big question was, are we adapted to deal with constant connection to everything all the time? The data suggest that we are not."
The controlled study was headed by an interdisciplinary team of experts with backgrounds in psychology, psychiatry, and consumer behavior.
You could make your brain 10 years younger by restricting phone use.
The month-long study involved 467 iPhone users, who were divided into two even groups. During the first two weeks, one group downloaded an app called Freedom that blocks mobile internet access (excluding texts and calls); the other group was allowed to use their phones as normal. Halfway through the study, they switched.
According to their results, participants found the experiment "evidently difficult" and only 25.5 percent were compliant (meaning, they abided for at least 10 of the 14 days). However, their efforts proved fruitful. Screen time was down by more than 50 percent, and users saw boosts in mental clarity, sustained attention, and well-being. The authors broke down their findings in the press release:
- 71 percent said the intervention put them in a better mental headspace.
- The enhancement in attention spans equates to "erasing 10 years of age-related decline," per the release.
- Improvements stayed on an uphill trajectory as the intervention progressed.
The takeaway:
Disconnecting from your phone not only improves your mental health, but your overall well-being. From a social perspective, it also challenges people to get active, interact with others, and put themselves first—rather than apps.
Ward said participants "increased time spent in the offline world. That’s doing hobbies, talking to people face-to-face, or going out in nature. They got more sleep, felt more socially connected, and felt more in control of their own decisions."
