Touch grass more, please

According to a study entitled “Smartphone use in a large US adult population: Temporal associations between objective measures of usage and mental well-being,” which was published on the National Institute of Health’s website (NIH), the average American spent 337.7 minutes, over five and a half hours, on their smartphone per day. 

The median minutes of screen time for all non–social media applications per day was 295, and the median minutes of screen time on all social media applications per day was 42.7.

However, the authors of the study noted this distribution was heavily skewed, with many people spending over 300 minutes, or five hours, per day using social media. 

Winbush, Ari et al. “Smartphone use in a large US adult population: Temporal associations between objective measures of usage and mental well-being.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of Americavol. 122,43 (2025): e2427311122. doi:10.1073/pnas.2427311122  

The fact that many people spend almost a third of their waking hours on social media, rather than interacting with the world around them, is deeply concerning. If you fall into this category, it is time for a change. 

Go outside and spend time with those who matter most to you. The world outside is so much more beautiful than what’s on your phone screen. Technology is a wonderful tool that can be, and often is, used for good. With technology, you can keep in contact with friends after a move, or access an unprecedented wealth of information through ebooks, documentaries, JSTOR and the Internet Archive.  

You can find like-minded people who are interested in the same hobbies as you and be entertained by almost any type of video on YouTube. Due to technology, it is now easier than ever to conduct academic research, discover new hobbies and passions and keep up to date with goings-on around the globe. 

However, due to the addictive nature of many forms of technology, including social media, it is important to be self-reflective about your use of technology. Enable Screen Time on your phone and ensure that you are not spending excessive amounts of time on a screen.  

In addition, it is important to distinguish between different types of screen time when taking stock of your phone usage. For example, you may be delighted to learn that you have been reading library books on the Libby app for 90 minutes daily, but disappointed to learn that you have spent the same amount of time mindlessly scrolling through short-form content like TikToks or Instagram reels. 

When you realize how much time you’re spending on your phone, you may be surprised to see how much free time you actually have. I know I was. Before you sit down to scroll for “just a few more minutes,” ask yourself what you would truly rather be doing than watching hours of short-form content that you may not even remember the next day.  

Would you rather spend time outdoors or with friends? Would you rather do schoolwork, so you aren’t as overwhelmed at the end of the semester when you have to submit final projects and papers, and take exams? Would you rather get enough sleep, or spend time relaxing in other, more fulfilling ways, such as reading a book or watching a movie? 

Technology is not your enemy, but it is also not inherently your friend. Be wise in your use of it and be aware of how much of your life you are spending scrolling.