"Sweet Spot" of Smartphone Use

When it comes to smartphone use, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied sought to determine whether reducing or eliminating smartphones would increase well-being and lifestyle.

The researchers studied more than 600 participants and divided them into three groups. The first experimental group gave up their smartphone completely for a week, the second experimental group reduced their phone use daily by one hour, and the control group used their smartphones in the same way as before. The participants were evaluated on life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, physical activity, and smoking behavior.

Both interventions were found to reduce smartphone use intensity, problematic use tendencies, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Life satisfaction and physical activity increased in both groups, and smoking decreased in the reduction group only.

Less time spent on the smartphone leads to more wellbeing and a healthier lifestyle, but a complete abstinence from smartphone use does not appear to be necessary. A daily reduction by just one hour can have a positive effect. Programs that focus on the increase of well-being and a healthier lifestyle could benefit from the integration of controlled reduction of smartphone use.