Research about smartphone usage.
Here you can read a collection of the most important research into the effects of smartphones on our wellbeing, sleep quantity and quality and focus. You can click on any research to go to the source.
Smartphone Usage.
Average daily smartphone usage
Average daily social media usage
Average daily screen unlocks
%
Wants to reduce their smartphone usage
Attention.
The presence of a smartphone
“The presence of a smartphone, even when off, can reduce cognitive capacity by taxing the attentional resources that reside at the core of both working memory capacity and fluid intelligence”
Attention span from 12 to 8 seconds
“Researchers in Canada surveyed 2,000 participants and studied the brain activity of 112 others using electroencephalograms (EEGs). Microsoft found that since the year 2000 (or about when the mobile revolution began) the average attention span dropped from 12 seconds to eight seconds.”
%
Phantom vibrations
Almost 90% of 290 undergraduates reported feeling “phantom vibrations,” which were experienced an average of once every two weeks
Mental Health.
Teen self-harm
The Social Dilemma documentary showed that teen self-harm went up by 62% for girls aged 15-19, and by 189% for girls aged 10-14 since the introduction of social media on smartphones in 2009.
Teen suicide
The Social Dilemma documentary showed that U.S. teen suicides went up by 70% for girls aged 15-19, and by 151% for girls aged 10-14 since the introduction of social media on smartphones in 2009.
Reduced Sleep quality
A systematic review and meta-analysis (of 20 studies) showed strong, consistent evidence of an association between bedtime access to or use of devices and reduced sleep quantity and quality, as well as increased daytime sleepiness
Teen depression
Electronic device use is weakly correlated with teen depression and suicide, and social media use is weakly correlated with depressive symptoms, especially for girls
Social Relationships.
Conversation Quality
Even the mere presence of smartphone can disrupt the connection between two people, having negative effects on closeness, connection, and conversation quality
Digital communications
Digital communications miss out on advantages of in-person conversation, including body language, voice, tone, and silences
Lack of self-worth
In one study of teens in the U.S. and U.K., Facebook found that more than 40% of Instagram users who reported feeling “unattractive” said the feeling began on the app. About a quarter of the teens who reported feeling “not good enough” said the feeling started on Instagram. Many also said the app undermined their confidence in the strength of their friendships.
Children.
Smartphone Addiction
78% of teens check their devices at least hourly, and 50% report feeling “addicted” to their phones; meanwhile, 69% of parents check their devices at least hourly, and 27% of parents feel “addicted”.
Distracted at school
“67% of surveyed teachers observed students being negatively distracted by mobile devices.”
