🌅 Today’s stat: 71%

Author

Sunrise Stat
February 27, 2025

71% - The percentage of study participants who reported improved mental health after blocking the internet from their mobile phones for two weeks.

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SOURCE
WHAT TO KNOW

  • People who blocked the internet from their smartphones for two weeks (participants could still access the internet through their computers and other devices) reported improvements across three psychological outcomes: mental health, subjective well-being, and attention span. The study found the average degree of improvement in symptoms of depression was larger than reported in some studies of antidepressant medications and cognitive behavioral therapy, and attention spans improved by an amount the researchers claim is equivalent to reversing 10 years of age-related cognitive decline.

WHY IT MATTERS

  • Overall, 91% of the study participants improved on at least one of the three psychological outcomes, and the benefits seemed to compound over time, with participants feeling progressively better each day during the study. However, the authors also note the nature of the study’s sample and intervention is “quite different from those studied in clinical psychology contexts.”

CONNECT THE DOTS

  • Today, 91% of Americans own a smartphone, up from 77% in 2018 and 35% in 2011, and among those who use a smartphone, 58% worry they use it too much, including 80% of people under the age of 30. They may be right:  Americans’ average daily screen time reached 5 hours and 16 minutes in 2024, up 14% from the year prior.