How smartphones can either improve or break your mental well-being
Scientific litsketch on boosting mental health
How does using a smartphone affect our mental well-being? A survey of 120,115 people found that on weekdays, using smartphones for social networking and chatting etc for less than two hours a day actually improves mental well-being (Przybylski and Weinstein, 2017). However, when usage exceeds two hours, it starts to reduce mental well-being. On weekends, any amount of smartphone usage reduces mental well-being.
So to maximise your mental well-being, stay connected with friends and family and social trends on your smartphone for less than two hours a day on the weekdays, but on the weekends, put your phone away.
The research also found that watching movies and videos online reduces mental well-being after four hours on weekdays and after five hours on weekends. Playing games reduces well-being after two hours on weekdays and after four hours on weekends. It’s true that if you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.
Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2017). A large-scale test of the goldilocks hypothesis: quantifying the relations between digital-screen use and the mental well-being of adolescents. Psychological Science, 28(2), 204-215.