In today's world, glancing at our phones has become as automatic a behavior as breathing or blinking. According to research conducted by Nottingham Trent University and Keimyung University in South Korea, checking your phone about 110 times a day is considered a sign of 'high-risk or problematic use.'
Source: Oxygen Newspaper
According to a report by The Washington Post, a similar picture emerges from an eight-year study conducted with teenagers and young adults by Larry Rosen, a psychology professor at California State University. Participants were found to check their smartphones more than 50 to 100 times a day, approximately once every 10 to 20 minutes while they are awake.
Android and iOS devices record how many times users unlock their phones, a data point referred to as 'pickups'. This data logs each check throughout the day. For instance, one might check their phone four times at 7 in the morning, ten times at noon, and 17 times in the evening. According to a YouGov survey, 66% of Americans look at their phone within the first 10 minutes of waking up, and 62% do so just before going to sleep.
Stanford University's Professor of Psychiatry, Anna Lembke, points out that phone usage creates a cycle of addiction:
'Phones, much like drugs and alcohol, trigger the brain's reward system. When we don't use them, we experience withdrawal symptoms.'
According to a survey conducted by YouGov in May, eight out of ten Americans keep their phones in their bedroom, typically on their bedside table.
Studies reveal that people seriously underestimate how often they check their phones; while most believe they only glance at it about 10 times a day, the actual numbers are much higher. Some users check their screens as many as 45 times in an hour, 7 times throughout the night, and some phones are left untouched for only 4 hours during the entire day.
Research conducted by the Singapore Management University suggests that it's not the screen time, but the frequency of checks that disrupts focus. Constantly unlocking your phone forces the brain to rapidly switch between tasks, thereby reducing cognitive performance. Computer scientist Gerald M. Weinberg had warned years ago that frequent task-switching could decrease productivity by up to 80%.
Following the introduction of smartphones into our lives in 2007, usage habits have spread across all age groups. According to Pew Research, the majority of adults in the U.S. now own a smartphone and use the internet on a daily basis. Professor Rosen points out that generational differences have lost their significance, stating:
'We are all now dependent on the same connection format directed by the smartphone.'
A study from Heidelberg University in Germany presents a striking finding; even a mere 72 hours away from a smartphone can trigger reactions in the brain similar to substance withdrawal. Research indicates that even short breaks can break the cycle of addiction and rewire reward circuits.