Instead of working on a homework assignment due in two minutes or studying for an exam worth 40% of your grade, you may be scrolling through Instagram reels on your phone. While you’re likely aware that it isn’t a good habit, new research highlights the potential consequences for the brain and body, including poorer memory and reduced sleep.
Researchers at Semmelweis University recruited Hungarian university students aged 18 to 35 years old for their study. Through online questionnaires, the students reported their daily phone usage, what they used their phones for, whether their phone usage disrupted any potential tasks, and whether they thought about their devices when not using them. From there, the researchers divided the participants into three distinct patterns.
The first group, “pure social,” primarily relied on social networking websites for messaging friends and relatives. The second, “light process,” spent less than five hours on their phones and used them for a mixture of social interactions, news consumption, passive scrolling, and entertainment. The third group, “heavy process,” was one third of the participants and spent more than five hours on their devices. They largely consumed more online content than interacted with others.
Throughout this process, the researchers examined psychological factors like self-control, fear of missing out (FOMO), and neuroticism, a personality trait with a tendency towards more negative emotions. Dr. Johanna Takács, the study’s lead researcher, concluded that personality alone, especially high levels of neuroticism, doesn’t make people addicted to their phones. “What really matters is how well they can control their behavior, emotions, and impulses, and how strongly they fear missing out,” she stated.
Passively scrolling, like watching short videos or browsing feeds, results in constant exposure to fast stimuli, which overloads attention and can cause mental fatigue over time. Participants in the “heavy process” group typically performed worse on attention and memory in cognitive tests compared to peers their age. Furthermore, they had poorer sleep, a stronger desire for constant stimulation, and had more difficulty controlling their impulses to check something. However, the results don’t directly establish that scrolling caused these observed differences in cognitive performance.
The total phone usage time was more closely associated with physical health consequences. When holding your phone at waist or chest level, then looking down, the head moves forward, creating a forward chest position known as “text neck,” which causes additional neck strain and leads to pain in the neck joints. “The neck contains receptors that tell the brain how the head is positioned,” said Beáta Seregély, an assistant lecturer responsible for the study’s physical measurements. “If a forward head posture is maintained for long periods, these signals can change and lead to balance problems. These effects are not limited to phone use but can also influence everyday movements.”
The researchers acknowledged that their intention wasn’t to ban phone usage. Instead, they wanted students to be more conscious of their phone usage. Some strategies include limiting unnecessary notifications, setting time limitations on social media apps, avoiding phone usage before bedtime, and better physical activity and posture. They note the importance of helping young adults develop better self-control and feel less afraid of missing out on social events. While reducing screen time is helpful, changing how you use your phone is another step in promoting your mental and physical health.
