Given the harmful effects of excessive smartphone use, researchers have investigated the effects of reducing smartphone use. A recent study by Brailovskaia and colleagues (2022) examined the effects of smartphone use reduction and abstinence on well-being (3). A total of 619 participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Abstinence, Reduction, or Control. The Abstinence group (N = 277) was instructed to not use their phone for 7 days. The Reduction group (N = 242) was instructed to reduce their overall phone use by an hour each day for 7 days. The Control group (N = 232) were not given limitations on their phone use. Several measures of smartphone use and well-being were assessed at baseline (prior to the week-long intervention), post-intervention, one month post-intervention, and four months post-intervention.
Both the Abstinence and Reduction group showed decreases in smartphone use intensity, problematic use tendency, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms after their one-week with reduced or no smartphone use. These effects persisted even after 4 months. These groups also showed an increase in physical activity and life satisfaction at post-intervention, which also persisted after 4 months (3). Cutting back on smartphone use for one week had an overall positive effect on people’s lives that persisted for several months. The magnitude of the effect was similar for both smartphone reduction and for smartphone abstinence for most measures. However, notably, these benefits seemed to be more stable for those who were in the reduction group compared to the abstinence group. The authors suggest that reducing smartphone use, rather than abstaining from smartphones completely, is easier to maintain and fosters a healthier relationship with phone use that would allow people to “gain the advantages of smartphone use without experiencing its negative effect” (3).
If you are concerned about your smartphone use and want to cut back, I would suggest specifically reducing smartphone use before you go to bed. A study by He et al. (2020) found that avoiding phone use 30 minutes before bed resulted in overall improved sleep quality, mood, and working memory (4). This preliminary study randomly assigned 38 college students to either the intervention group or the control group. Participants in the intervention group (N = 19) had their phone use restricted prior to bed time for 4 weeks (Most of them used smartphones that had a “bedtime” function that made the screen go grey, would not allow apps to be opened, and phone service would go offline. Those that did not have this function were simply instructed to turn their phones off 30 minutes prior to bedtime). Participants in the control group were not given any restrictions on their sleep or phone use.
