VeryWell Mind: A Small Reduction in Smartphone Use Can Make a Big Difference for Mental Health
"People spend an average of five to six hours each day on their smartphones, not including work-related use.
While they are useful, excessive cell phone use can have a detrimental impact on mental health. It has been linked to impaired cognitive function, impulsivity, sleep problems, and addiction to social networking in teens.
“Per the study, conscious and controlled changes of daily time spent on smartphone use can contribute to subjective well-being—fewer depressive and anxiety symptoms, less problematic use tendencies, more life satisfaction—and to a healthier lifestyle, [including] more physical activity, [and] less smoking behavior, in the longer term,” states Yalda Safai, MD, MPH, a psychiatrist in New York.
Don't Ditch Your Phone, But Limit Use
For this study, German researchers collected data from April 2019 to November 2020, from participants ages 18 and older. Over 600 individuals were randomly selected and divided into three groups. One group did not use their smartphones at all for one week. A second set of people limited the amount of time they used their smartphones, cutting down usage by one hour daily. The final group continued to use their smartphones without changing their behaviors.
The purpose was to see if the changes in smartphone usage resulted in changes in their behavior or mental health. Researchers asked questions about the individuals’ physical activity, cigarette smoking, and signs of depression or anxiety.
The results showed that people don’t need to give up their cellphone usage entirely for better mental health; but limiting usage does help.
Knowing a little less time on the small screens can make a significant difference in your mental health is helpful but knowing how to implement that reduction is key.
Making Your Smartphone Work for You
“Monitoring your usage and being mindful of usage can have significant impact,” Dr. Katzenstein states. “Putting yourself on a ‘social media diet’ or a ‘smartphone diet’ can help reduce overall smartphone usage, even if you just try to do it for one week.”
Experts also recommend being mindful of how you feel when you are using your smartphone. Cut back if being on your smartphone makes you feel stressed, hurried, or anxious.
If you’re concerned about missing your device in hand, or your hourly social media fix, you can replace cell phone surfing with other activities. Reading, exercising, time with family and friends, and other activities you enjoy can decrease the urge to peruse your phone apps."
Read the full article here!
Reflection:
Do you have control over your smartphone use?
#Smartphone #MentalHealth #SelfControl
@comfortableNight4463
Oh gosh this hits hard haha! I guess most of us are in the same boat, mhm? XD
Welp! Smartphone usage is definitely something I can and do try to work on. 👀 Good luck to everyone else struggling with it too. We got this. One hour less a day oooof! ❤
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou Definitely. We got this! This article was a bit of a wake-up call to me
@comfortableNight4463 I think I can improve on my smartphone use. I will literally just open apps and close them and reopen them because I'm bored and I think something new will appear in the 4 seconds I wasn't there. I spend way too much time on TikTok, but I do try and be present when I am with people in real life.
@fruityPond7887 I can relate to this. Sometimes I realize that I'm mindlessly scrolling and I don't want to stop. Tiktok has definitely taken up a big chunk of my time.
@comfortableNight4463 Definitely. Tik Tok is addicting too because the videos are so short that it keeps our attention! I honestly forget what I watched previously as soon as I swipe to the next video.
@fruityPond7887 This is so true! I uninstalled it a few days ago and I've never felt better!
@comfortableNight4463 Wow! I admire your self-control. I spend so many hours on TikTok and I think I'd be lost without it haha
I'd like to think I have a decent handle on my phone usage but I think cutting an hour out a day would be good for me. My question: I have books on my phone that I'd like to read while "taking a break". Does it count against this whole idea if I'm on my phone, even if it's for reading?
@pandaprincess9 I'm glad you have a handle on how much you use your phone. Using your phone is not an issue at all. The issue lies in being unable to control how much you use it when it starts affecting the other things you have to do throughout your day. Reading is amazing, I love it too! As long as it's not detrimental to your other obligations, I see no issue with it
@comfortableNight4463 so true. Smartphones are smart because they know how to keep one hooked on them.
But hey, they forget that we are smarter. We won't let them govern our lives.
We owe it to ourselves.
Anyone reading this on their phone, take a cookie 🍪 and a break ❤️
@comfortableNight4463 Gosh. My work keeps me chained to my phone and even after work I find myself constantly checking it.
I think part of it is because my entire life is practically inside the phone now. My calendar, communications, work, etc... It's very hard to break free of it. I am trying to be more mindful these days, however!