Study Finds Self-Determined Screen Time Limits Beat Imposed Goals

A joint study conducted by researchers from India and Spain has investigated the most effective methods for reducing smartphone screen time among users. According to the research, an average person spends approximately six hours a day on their phone and unlocks the device at least twice every hour. To address this widespread digital habit, the researchers initiated a comprehensive investigation involving 149 volunteers over a 35-day testing period.

The findings of this empirical research have been officially published in the academic journal Social Science & Medicine. During the study, the 149 participating volunteers were divided into different groups to test varying approaches to limiting their daily smartphone usage. The methodology allowed researchers to compare the effectiveness of self-determined targets against externally imposed restrictions and a control baseline.

The results demonstrated a significant advantage for participants who exercised personal autonomy over their reduction goals. Specifically, members of the first group, which consisted of 55 participating individuals who set their own screen time reduction goals, were able to reduce their daily screen time by an average of 49 minutes. Furthermore, this first group proved to be 11 percent more successful in fulfilling their daily reduction targets overall.

In contrast, the second group, comprising 62 participating individuals who were assigned a fixed goal, achieved more modest results. Participants in this assigned-goal category reduced their screen time by an average of only 23 minutes. Meanwhile, the remaining 32 participants who served as a control group without any specific goals actually increased their smartphone usage by an average of 11 minutes per day.

The study also tracked longer-term behavioral patterns among the participants following the intervention. Those who set their own goals maintained a decrease in usage, continuing to use their phones for an average of approximately 16 minutes less per day. Meanwhile, those in the second group continued to use their devices for about 11 minutes less per day compared to their baseline measurements.