Digital Detox Fact Sheet

Increased dependancy on phones Facts about phone use and it’s impact on sleep Facts about phone use and it’s impact on relationships Facts about benefits of nature Facts about digital detoxing Phones and cognitive function, focus and productivity Phone use and it’s impact on employees in the workplace

Increased dependancy on phones

The more useful phones get, the more dependant we are on them in our everyday life. We look to them for communication, navigation, shopping and entertainment. But how addicted really are we?

50% of UK adults spend a cumulative 11 hours a day in front of screens (Source)

The average screen time in the UK in 2022 was 5 hours a day (Source)

1 in 3 young adults are addicted to their phones (Source)

50% say despite their best efforts they sometimes can’t stop checking their smartphones when they should be focusing on other things (Source)

Phones can be as addictive as addictive substances (Source)

80% of us check our phones within 10 minutes of waking up (Source)

On average, we check our phones 344 times a day, which is an increase of 31% since 2021 (Source)

Social media usage has been linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression (Source)

Teens spend an average of 8 hours on screens a day (Source)

78% of teens 13–17 check their phones at least hourly, while 35% use social media “constantly.”

Facts about phone use and it’s impact on sleep

Using your phone before bed is widely known to impact your sleep quality, due to it reducing your production of melatonin, the chemical that makes you feel sleepy. Here is the science and studies that connect phone use with sleep quality.

Phone use before bed causes insufficient sleep which weakens cognitive function including memory, concentration and attention (Source / Source)

Phone use before bed is associated to lower performance at work (Source)

Checking work emails in before bed diminishes work engagement (Source)

68.7% of smart phone addicts suffer from poor sleep (Source)

High screen time usage, especially before bed, has been linked to poorer sleep duration and poorer sleep quality (Source)

Teenagers with screen time of more than 4 hours per day were 3.5x times more likely to sleep fewer than 5 hours at night and 49% likelier to need more than 60 minutes to fall asleep (Source)

Phone use before bed significantly reduces sleep quality (Source)

Reducing phone use before bed improves sleep quality, sleep duration and working memory (Source)

Facts about phone use and it’s impact on relationships

Excessive phone use can have a negative impact on relationships and human connection. They can breed insecurity, lack of trust and stability and happiness. Here are some facts and studies conducted on the relationship between phone use and human connection.

The presence of a phone during a conversation lowers the quality of conversation and is perceived as impolite (Source)

81% of people use their phone whilst eating at a restaurant (Source)

87% of people use their phone whilst talking to friends and family (Source)

The presence of smartphone reduce smiles between strangers (Source)

54% UK adults admit that connected devices interrupt face-to-face conversations with friends and family (Source)

Phones can reduce our capacity to feel empathy (Source)

Excessive internet usage increases feelings of loneliness (Source)

Smartphone dependency is significantly linked to relationship uncertainty and relationship un-satisfaction (Source)

Relationships with high presence of mobile phone use reported more conflict over technology use, lower relationship satisfaction, more depressive symptoms, and lower life satisfaction (Source)

Facts about benefits of nature

Nature has been proven to have tonnes of benefits for your physical and mental wellbeing. Here’s the top facts about the benefits of spending time in nature.

Spending 3 days in nature can improve your cognitive function by 50% (Source)

You need to spend at least 120 minutes in nature a week to improve health and wellbeing, with the most significant benefits felt between 200-300 minutes (Source)

Time in nature improves cognitive function and working memory (Source)

Visits to green spaces of 30 minutes or more during the course of a week could reduce depression and high blood pressure by up to 7% and 9% respectively. (Source)

Spending time in nature improves your mood and boosts positive emotions (Source)

Time in nature improves memory span in comparison to time in urban setting (Source)

Spending time in blue spaces and green spaces is linked to improved life satisfaction, reduced anxiety and increased happiness (Source)

Spending time in nature results in an increased attention span (Source)

49% people feel that being close to nature helps them cope with stress (Source)

Being in a diverse natural landscape, especially forests, has a larger impact on mental wellbeing, and can reduce stress and anxiety (Source, Source, Source)

Facts about digital detoxing

Digital detoxing is when you intentionally take a break from digital devices, like your smartphone and laptop. Digital detoxing has been proven to improve you mood, productivity, creativity and mental wellbeing.

72 hours in a cabin in nature can reduce stress levels by 70% (Source)

A digital detox can reduce levels of procrastination (Source)

A digital detox lowers cortisol levels and improves life satisfaction (Source)

Tech-free breaks are more immersive, valuable and and memorable (Source)

The feeling of calm lasts longer than just during your digital detox - you will return to the connected world feeling more relaxed

Overt resistance by going cold turkey and locking your phone in a box is more effective than other covert, more subtle strategies (Source)

Taking a one week break from social media improves wellbeing, depression and anxiety (Source)

Phones and cognitive function, focus and productivity

Our brains developed over millennia without instant access to technology and constant stimuli. Phone use and even the presence of a mobile phone can impact your brains cognitive function.

The mere presence of a mobile phone can reduce your brain power (Source)

It can take your brain 23 minutes to refocus after an interruption to focus (Source)

Excessive screen-time appears to impair brain structure and function, involving emotional processing, executive attention, decision making, and cognitive control. (Source)

Heavy media-multitasking worsen cognitive control tasks and exhibit socio-emotional difficulties (Source)

Phone use decreases productivity in the workplace and at home (Source)

Human average attention spans averages 8 seconds (Source)

Our IQ is lowered by the presence of our phones even when they are face down and turned off on the desk (Source)

In a three-year study, repeated checking of social media altered brain development in 13-year-olds (Source)

Phone use and it’s impact on employees in the workplace

Technology has a solid place in the workplace but extended screen time and its impact on employee mental wellbeing and productivity is often overlooked.

Employees who have frequent visits to nature have significantly higher work engagement than those who do not (Source)

Phone use decreases productivity in the workplace and at home (Source)

56% of workers who use social media platforms for work-related purposes agree that social media distracts from the work they need to do (Source)

15% for 18-34 year olds feel more productive offline; and 16% say they feel less distracted (Source)

86% of UK workers find it harder to switch off after work hours due to technological advancements (Source)

53% of UK workers feel they have health implications from staring at a screen for so long (Source)

Phone use before bed is associated to lower performance at work (Source)

49% of people admit to checking emails and working for at least 1 hour a day whilst on annual leave (Source)