We asked participants to upload screenshots of their iPhone's screen time page showing their average daily screen time in the past week. Prior to blocking mobile internet, our participants’ screen time was very similar to the screen time of the average American smartphone user (2)
The intervention significantly reduced smartphone use. Average screen time decreased in the Intervention group from 314 min at T1 to 161 min at T2 (Cohen's dz = 2.22, P < 0.001) and rebounded to 265 at T3 (dz = 1.02, P < 0.001 compared with T1). In the Delayed Intervention group, daily screen time decreased slightly from 336 min at T1 to 322 min at T2 (dz = 0.32, P = 0.011) and dropped to 190 at T3 (dz = 2.39, P < 0.001).
Our results provide evidence that blocking mobile internet from smartphones for 2 weeks can produce significant improvements for SWB, mental health, and the objectively measured ability to sustain attention.
Even those who did not fully comply with the intervention experienced significant, though more modest, improvements. These findings suggest that constant connection to the online world comes at a cost, since psychological functioning improves when this connection is reduced.
https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/2/pgaf017/8016017?searchresult=1&login=false#506527390
Get a dumbphone!