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Person on smartphone: Going for a walk or exercising would be good alternatives
Photo: Weronika Peneshko / dpa
Apparently, Germans are surprisingly self-critical when it comes to their own use of mobile phones. This is the result of a representative YouGov survey commissioned by the German Press Agency. According to the study, almost every second adult with a smartphone feels that the daily time spent on the mobile phone is inappropriate. 27 percent rate their own smartphone use as "too long", 15 percent even as "much too long" – that's a total of 42 percent!
Slightly more than half of the respondents, 53 percent, call their mobile phone time "adequate". Only two percent said they would like to have more time on their smartphones, the rest did not provide any information. In an identical survey five years ago, 42 percent of respondents (instead of 32 percent) described their own time on their mobile phones as "too long". 63 percent considered it "adequate".
So there is a clear trend in how the evaluation of one's own mobile phone behavior has changed between 2018 and 2023. There is also a difference in the gender of the respondents: 44 percent of women say they spend too long on their mobile phones – compared to 39 percent of men.
Younger people in particular are critical of their own use
In the various age groups, there is a trend that younger people in particular are struggling with their own behaviour. For example, around 18 percent of 24- to 60-year-olds say they spend too much time on their mobile phones every day, and among 25- to 34-year-olds, the figure is as high as 63 percent. After that, this value decreases in the age groups.
For example, the figure is 35 percent among 44- to 48-year-olds, around 45 percent among 54- to 44-year-olds and only 55 percent among those over 26. However, the proportion of people over 55 who do not use a smartphone at all is also the largest.
What people use their time on their mobile phones for was not explicitly asked. However, it is also clear that the range of apps and functions of mobile phones has increased over time.
Smartphones even have an effect when they're just lying around
Scientists from Dresden and Braunschweig point out to the dpa news agency that mobile phones do not even have to be actively used to have an influence on the brain. "Research has shown that the mere presence of a smartphone in the room can have an impact on working memory," says psychologist Franziska Weiß from TU Dresden. Read more about it here.
Mobile phones in the workplace: And yet they are annoying! An interview by Larena Klöckner
Working memory – that's what science calls what laypeople know as short-term memory. But how is it affected by a smartphone lying in the room? "Apparently, some of the nerve cells are pulled off to prevent the impulse to switch on the mobile phone," explains Martin Korte, author and professor of neurobiology at TU Braunschweig.
Cell phone use becomes a problem when it resembles an addiction
At what point does the use of the smartphone become a serious problem? An important sign is the increased desire for it. "Failed attempts to reduce usage and difficulties in everyday life, up to and including use in high-risk situations, are problematic," says Franziska Weiß.
However, it's not just about screen time, it's also about what content is consumed. "Some smartphone features have more addictive potential than others," says Weiß. For example, social networks and computer games are more critical than simply reading the news.
It's better to use it consciously than to do without it completely
And what helps us to use our smartphones in a healthier way? The experts advise a conscious approach instead of a complete renunciation. "Humans are creatures of habit and it takes time for change to occur. You have to be persistent," says Weiß.
Martin Korte advises making a greater distinction between online and offline time. "That means spending your time online consciously, mindfully and attentively." To do this, you should then plan a few hours a day offline. Read the SPIEGEL interview with Korte here.
Once you're trapped in the smartphone tunnel, even well-thought-out strategies can help. "In situations where you'd like to quit but can't, you need a ritual," says psychologist Weiß. This is for example a walk in the fresh air or a round of sports. "All of this helps to regulate stress, which you may also try to compensate for with smartphone use."
mgo/dpa