Smartphones are good, but addiction is not

Smartphone addiction is widespread - and out of control. We need to solve it.

Smartphones should add to our lives; connect us to the people we love. But for many of us, smartphones are stripping our attention away from the things we care about. We are addicted to scrolling. This isn’t a surprise - there are billions of dollars invested in making you as addicted as possible. Every day, more information is used to tailor every aspect of what you see to lock you in - to keep you “hooked”.

The facts are astounding - read on to see real data about smartphone use. Some from academic research, and some from our own surveys.

Everyone is addicted

Smartphones are used by people all around the world, and adoption is still growing. Adoption is high across all ages and sexes. People who own a smartphone tend to keep it with them, and even feel anxious when they don't have it.

We can’t stop looking and its hurting us

Problematic Smartphone Use and Dependence (PSUD) is the most correct term used to describe Smartphone Addiction"

It's becoming increasingly clear that smartphones can be used in problematic ways, and many people develop an unhealthy dependence on their device.
There are many stories of smartphones hurting people's health, and sometimes even risking their lives. It's clear that without some kind of change, excessive and unhealthy use of smartphones will continue to grow and affect more people globally.

Addictive Apps Are The Primary Culprits

It turns out that while smartphones are the conduit for much of the addictive behavior, it's the apps that are the real problem. Short-form video apps in particular have a much higher addiction rate than the smartphones themselves, and make up the majority of Problematic Smartphone Use.
Addiction to these apps are bad for both boys and girls, but cause even worse downstream problems for girls.

This is just the tip of the iceberg

Society is facing a large and growing threat to our mental and physical health. You can contribute by sharing this information with your friends and family, and by being mindful of your own smartphone usage.
We need more data - filling in our survey is a great first step to improving the data available to researchers and campaigners worried about this problem.

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