The article presents the results of a month-long experiment that shows that turning off the internet on smartphones leads to noticeable improvements in people’s focus, emotional health and overall happiness.
Abstract
Turning off mobile internet on a smartphone for just two weeks can make people feel better, more focused and happier. This is partly because they spend more time with friends, outdoors and doing healthy activities instead of being constantly distracted by online content. While it’s not always easy to completely turn it off, limiting mobile internet on their phones – even for a short period of time – can be a simple way to improve mental and emotional well-being.
What did we learn?
• Healthier minds and stronger attention: For two weeks, participants blocked all mobile internet on their smartphones (but were still able to send messages, make calls or use Wi-Fi at home) and saw better results for mental health, attention span and life satisfaction than those who did not block internet use during the same period.
• Widespread benefits: About 91% of participants showed improvement in at least one area – mental well-being, mindfulness or subjective happiness.
• Why internet blocking works: Time spent away from mobile internet allowed people to spend more time socialising face-to-face, exercising, being in nature and getting better sleep – activities that have been shown to improve mental health and focus.
• Real-world effects: The improvements in mindfulness measured in the study were equivalent to looking ten years younger, and the improvements in mental health were as strong or stronger than antidepressants or certain types of therapy.
