The Huffington Post
Some researchers think spending too much time on your phone might age your brain faster. One study found that “passive” scrolling may be linked to an increased dementia risk; another found that excessive use could lead to thinning of the cerebral cortex, which processes memories and handles decision-making. According to a 2025 PNAS study , though, those changes don’t have to be permanent. In their research, blocking mobile internet for two weeks appeared to result in better subjective well-being, mental health, and sustained attention, “as much as being 10 years younger”. What did the research involve? In this study, 467 participants used an app that turned their smartphones “dumb” again: in other words, it took away their internet access, but kept their ability to make and receive calls and texts. (While they used a specific app, you can enjoy a similar effect by disabling the mobile data and wi-fi on your device). The average age of the participants was 32. After the 14-day period, people’s screen time had almost halved (from 314 minutes a day to 161 minutes). They also had fewer depression and anxiety, an effect the paper said was “more than antidepressants”. And subjective well-being, or how good the participants said they felt, leapt up too. The scientists said they think that some of these results could be due not to digital detoxes per se, but “by the mediators of time use, social connection, self-control, and sleep” that reducing time online facilitates. But “none of them explained a significant portion of the intervention’s effects on sustained attention,” the researchers said (which, as we mentioned before, was equivalent to a 10-year brain ageing wipe). You don’t need to be perfect Good news for people who aren’t sure they could stick to this scheme: people who didn’t stick really strictly to the programme still saw benefits. “Even those who did not fully comply with the intervention experienced significant, though more modest, improvements,” the paper reads. This “suggests that fully blocking mobile internet is not necessary to produce benefits. Rather, simply reducing mobile internet use may be sufficient.” They ended, “Balancing the practical benefits that smartphones offer against these significant negative consequences is an important task for smartphone users. Our results suggest that, for many people, spending less time with their device can help achieve this balance.” Related... The Language Changes That Separate Normal Ageing From Dementia Six Short Tests Can Tell People Who Are Ageing Well From Those Who Aren't Scientists Seem To Have Found A Way To Stop Ageing 'Zombie Cells'
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