Reducing phone usage time decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression, Study revealed

Researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany found that using a smartphone for just one hour a day makes the user less likely to feel anxious and more likely to exercise.

In the study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, researchers recruited 619 people and divided them into three groups.

200 of them put their smartphones aside for one week, while 226 of them reduced the time they used the device by one hour per day. As for the third group, the subjects did not change anything in their behavior.

"We found that completely giving up a smartphone and reducing its daily use to just one hour had positive effects on the participants' lifestyle and well-being," said Dr. Julia Bryullovskaya.

Four months after the experiment ended, the researchers invited all participants to give their opinion on a survey about their lifestyle habits. It was found that the experiment changed the habits of the participants in the first group in the long term, as the participants abstained from using their smartphones for an average of 38 minutes less per day.

As for the group that reduced smartphone use to one hour per day, they used it for 45 minutes less than before.

At the same time, the participants’ self-satisfaction increased and they began to engage in physical activities, and the percentage of depression, anxiety, and nicotine consumption decreased significantly.

Our Phone daily habits has really replaced a lot of healthy activities we use to do before those smart phones pop up.

It is nice to go back to the roots, find something healthier and beneficial for the body and soul.

Published date : 21- APRIL- 2022

Source : Journal of Experimental Psychology