People are always browsing the web for ways to improve their lives. One way is to get off the web. Most of our customers read our website on their phones. If that’s you, we have a wellness tip that might shock you. In a study, turning off the internet on phones for two weeks improved people’s mental health more than antidepressants. It improved attention span as though the people’s brains were de-aged by ten years. It increased well-being in 91 percent of the people in the study.
The study participants spent more time outdoors and socializing in person when they didn’t have internet on their phones. Even after the internet was turned back on, they continued to see benefits from the break.
“Smartphones have drastically changed our lives and behaviors over the past 15 years, but our basic human psychology remains the same,” researcher Adrian Ward said. “Our big question was, are we adapted to deal with constant connection to everything all the time? The data suggest that we are not.”
Even if we weren’t built to have the internet in our hands at all times, it can be a huge pull. Only a quarter of the participants made it the full two weeks without turning the internet on on their phones. However, the people who reduced their usage — even without fully abstaining — saw benefits. That suggests that cutting back on screen time can be helpful, even if you aren’t ready to give up on the internet.
People often feel the “fear of missing out” or FOMO. That causes anxiety, and people check in on social media and the news to be sure they are up to date on everything. However, when people disconnected, FOMO fell. When people couldn’t check in, their anxiety lessened, and they relaxed. It helped people feel more in control of their actions and time. They slept better without access to the entertainment they usually got from their phone.
Half of Americans want to cut back on their screen time. The study was filled with people who were already motivated to do so and were okay with turning off the internet on their phones. The results are going to vary. If cutting ties to the internet and getting away from screens makes a person uncomfortable rather than hopeful, they may not see the same results.
Smartphones are incredible. We have all the information in the world in the palm of our hands. However, they do appear to take a toll on our sleep, mental health and ability to concentrate.
