Limiting Screen Time’s Measurable Positive Affect on Mental Health

Published: February 28, 2025

What Exactly Makes Screen Time So Harmful?

By Movieguide® Contributor

In a recent study, researchers found that limiting screen time has a significant positive effect on mental health, equivalent to the impact of antidepressants.

The researchers restricted the “smart” abilities of participants’ smartphones, cutting them off from the internet, while still allowing calling and texting. Furthermore, participants were still allowed to access the internet through non-phone means such as desktops and laptop computers. Participants were also encouraged to replace their now-inaccessible screen time habits with worthwhile substitutes such as reading, exercise or face-to-face interaction.

The results were impressive, as 91% of participants reported a positive impact on their mental health, such as the well-being of their mental state or their attention span.

“What we found was that people had better mental health, better subjective well-being and better sustained attention,” said Adrian Ward, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin and an author on the paper, per Relevant.

While evidence proving the negative effects of high screen time has been building for years, this is one of the first studies that specifically links the impact on mental health to connectivity to the internet. While the participants were encouraged to spend less time on their screens overall, the only change that was actually enacted on their lives was limiting their access to the internet, essentially only changing their access to social media.

READ MORE: PSYCHOLOGIST URGES PARENTS TO ‘ACT TOGETHER’ TO KEEP KIDS OFF SMARTPHONES

Last year, the U.S. Surgeon General called for a Surgeon General’s warning on social media due the mountain of evidence that points towards its negative effect on mental health. However, this warning would only be relevant for kids and teens as there is little research showing its impact on fully developed brains. The participants in this study, however, were beyond that age range, helping prove that social media has a negative effect on everyone, regardless of how developed their brain is.

This is crucial as empirical evidence is almost always needed for lawmakers to make change, especially in the tech sphere where big tech can lobby against almost any movement. When there is significant scientific evidence proving harm, it becomes a lot harder for lawmakers to ignore those clamoring for change.

Consumers, however, are not waiting for lawmakers to make changes that make their devices less addictive. Rather, they are making the hard choice to change their habits and take control of their addictions on their own.

READ MORE: AMERICANS USE THESE TOOLS TO LIMIT THEIR SCREEN TIME