How Much Time Do People Spend on Their Phones?

Research suggests that the average person spends hours daily using their phone.

Smartphones are going nowhere, so it’s important to understand how screen time habits affect physical health, mental wellbeing, productivity, and relationships and what you can do about it.

 

How Much Time Do People Spend on Their Phones Each Day?

It is estimated that (on average) adults spend around 3 hours and 21 minutes on their phones every day. Globally the average number is higher at 4 hours and 37 minutes.

In the UK, this figure was only 1 hour 17 minutes per day in 2015. Now, we’re spending more time on our phones than we are watching TV.

 

How Has Smartphone Usage Changed Over Time?

Above, we looked at the figures that demonstrate how smartphone usage has changed. In 2012, the number of younger smartphone users (16-24) was 86%; now it is 100%.

Since then, there has been the explosion of social media, streaming services, mobile gaming, messaging apps, and remote working. All of these activities can be facilitated by any type of smartphone.

People now don’t have much casual use for a computer or laptop, or even a tablet. Smartphones are how we communicate, entertain ourselves, shop and more.

 

How Much Time Do Different Age Groups Spend on Their Phones?

Younger age groups typically report the highest levels of phone use, but it’s increasing across all age groups.

This is the daily smartphone usage of different age groups:

• Children: 2 hours 59 minutes (across smartphone, tablet and computer)
• Teenagers: 4 hrs 49 mins
• Young adults: 4 hrs 32 mins
• Middle-aged adults: 3 hrs 19 mins
• Older adults: 1 hr 47 mins

 

What Are People Doing on Their Phones?

The most common activities we do on phones are:

• Social media
• Messaging apps
• Watching videos
• Checking the news
• Gaming
• Shopping
• Work-related tasks (emails, managing appointments)
• Streaming content

Smartphones have become increasingly sophisticated, becoming a one-stop shop for all your needs, combining multiple forms of entertainment and communication into a single device.

 

How Often Do People Check Their Phones?

It’s estimated that UK adults check their phones up to 80 times a day. Most of the time, people are checking their phones for no reason, and this frequent checking can become automatic or habitual, like a compulsive action.

This checking behaviour is important because it can contribute to total screen time when looking at people’s problematic use. Research suggests that checking your phone over 100 times a day could indicate problematic usage patterns.

 

What Is Doomscrolling and How Much Time Does It Consume?

A study by Virgin Media O2 found that 36% of all phone use is purposeless or unintentional, which equates to roughly an hour and 26 minutes per day for many users.

So, what are people doing?

Doomscrolling.

Everyone does this. You go onto your phone for no particular reason, you open Twitter (X) and start scrolling, taking in all the opinions, news stories, debates and attempting to take it all in.

Doomscrolling becomes difficult to control because it makes you feel in control. The world is chaotic, but at least you’re keeping yourself informed about it. We are wired to pay more attention to the negative or dangerous information for survival, doomscrolling supplies this, and you get alternating hits of cortisol and dopamine, fuelling the continued scrolling.

All this leads to more scrolling as you look to not miss out on anything, be knowledgeable about what is happening and feel connected to the world.

 

How Does Excessive Phone Use Affect Mental Health?

Excessive phone use is now heavily linked to poorer mental well-being. A study from 2022 found that heavy phone use results in increased levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

Heavy phone use can cause stress, leave you in a low mood and make you suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out).

You will also experience information overload, constantly bombarded by the demands of digital life. This constant connectivity to others and the world can lead to emotional exhaustion, as every notification, message, email, and news alert you see can cause you stress. You never calm down and relax, and get burnt out easily.

 

Can Spending Too Much Time on Your Phone Affect Physical Health?

Excessive phone use can also affect your physical health and it can lead to:

• Eye strain
• Headaches
• Neck and shoulder pain
• Poor posture
• Reduced physical activity
• Sleep disruption (a Norwegian study found that every additional hour of screen time was linked to a 63% increase in insomnia risk).

 

When Does Phone Use Become an Addiction?

Phone addiction is not an officially recognised medical condition by the NHS, but there is broad agreement that problematic phone use is real, and people do demonstrate addictive behaviours with their phone.

Problematic phone use falls under the umbrella of behavioural addictions. Signs of behavioural addictions include compulsive use of your phone, loss of control over phone use, cravings and continued use despite negative consequences.

Smartphone addiction is similar to other behavioural addictions, like gambling, because the use of a phone gives you a hit of dopamine. You get a hit of it every time you interact with your phone, soon craving it more and more. Eventually, the use becomes compulsive, the act of using the phone all that matters, not what you do on it.

Like with gambling, the addiction isn’t the winning or losing, it’s the act of putting the bet on.

 

What Are the Warning Signs of Phone Addiction?

You should be aware of the signs that you’re developing a phone addiction. When you know the signs, you can begin to reassess your relationship with your phone, or even consider seeking professional help. Some warning signs that you’ve become a little too dependent on your phone can look like:

• Feeling anxious without a phone
• Constantly checking notifications
• Neglecting responsibilities
• Reduced productivity
• Relationship difficulties
• Difficulty reducing screen time
• Hiding phone use

 

Who Is Most at Risk of Developing a Phone Addiction?

Studies have found that some people may be more vulnerable to developing a phone addiction. Many factors can put someone more at risk, including:

• Heavy social media use
• Younger age groups
• Underlying mental health issues (anxiety, depression)
• Loneliness
• History of addictive behaviours

It’s important to remember that these are factors that may increase vulnerability to phone addiction. Not everyone who spends a lot of time on their phone is addicted to it in the clinical sense.

 

How Can You Reduce Your Phone Screen Time?

Try out some of these strategies to cut down your screen time:

• Track your screen time
• Turn off non-essential notifications
• Set app limits
• Schedule screen-free time
• Avoid phone use before bed
• Try screen-free activities
• Practice mindful technology use (don’t check your phone for no reason, focus on one task at a time)
• Put your phone out of reach

 

Learn More About Phone Addiction Today

People spend hours of their day on their phones, usage increasing over the decade as our smartphones have become more central to daily life. There’s no turning back. Phones are important to modern life, but excessive use can negatively affect mental health, physical well-being, and daily functioning.

Contact us today for advice.