PARIS, March 16 — It can be difficult for people of all ages to spend time apart from their phones.

But while a majority of US teens feel happy when they don’t have their smartphone, more than four in ten say that this makes them feel anxious.

As such, young people seem to have a somewhat toxic relationship with their phones. A Pew Research study entitled ”How Teens and Parents Approach Screen Time,”* conducted among American teenagers aged 13 to 17 and their parents, shows the extent to which young people have mixed feelings about their smartphone and their well-being.

While 72 per cent say they feel peaceful and 74 per cent report feeling happy when they don’t have their smartphone, 44 per cent admit to feeling anxious when separated from their device. Forty per cent say they feel upset and 39 per cent feel lonely.

Girls are more likely than boys to feel anxious when they don’t have their phone. In fact, 45 per cent of girls say they feel lonely regularly when they don’t have their phone, compared with 34 per cent of boys.

Despite this, teenagers are well aware that they spend too much time on their smartphones (38 per cent) and that they use social media excessively (27 per cent). Only a tiny proportion who feel they spend too little time on them (5 per cent and 8 per cent respectively).

More girls than boys admit to spending too much time on their smartphones (44 per cent vs. 33 per cent), as well as on social media (32 per cent vs. 22 per cent). Yet the majority feel they spend the right amount of time on their smartphone (51 per cent), and even more on social media (64 per cent).

The study also reveals that young people are aware of the negative effects of phones on their social lives. Although 69 per cent of teenagers say that smartphones make it easier for them to pursue their hobbies and interests, only 30 per cent think that they help them acquire good social skills.

Cutting back on screen time

To avoid these excesses, teenagers have decided to reduce their screen time. Almost four in ten teens (39 per cent) say they have cut back on their time on social media, or on time using their phones (36 per cent).

The trend remains minimal, since the vast majority have not changed their habits, either in terms of time spent on their smartphone (63 per cent) or on social media (60 per cent).

Here again, girls are ahead of boys in reducing their use the most. Around four in ten girls have reduced the time spent on their smartphone and social networks, compared with around a third of boys.

A logical situation, according to the researchers of the Pew Research study, who state that: "Teens who report spending too much time on social media and smartphones are especially likely to report cutting back on each.

For instance, roughly six-in-ten teens who say they are on social media too much say they have cut back (57 per cent). This is far higher than the 32 per cent among those who say they are on social media too little or the right amount.”

For adults too, screen time can be a problem, especially in the evening before bedtime. According to a US News survey on sleep quality,** 44 per cent of American adults say that screen time in bed is one of their worst sleep habits.

Yet 29 per cent use screens while falling asleep, according to US News’ Sleep Quality Survey.

Nineteen per cent of American adults say they stop using screen devices more than 30 minutes before going to sleep, while 20 per cent of US adults say they stop using these devices 20 to 30 minutes before bedtime. — ETX Studio

*Study conducted among 1,453 teenagers aged 13 to 17 and their parents in the United States between September 26 and October 23, 2023.

**Survey of 1,200 Americans over 18 in September 2023.