Smartphones have improved our lives in many ways, including connecting with others and finding information quickly, wherever we are. But many experts have questioned what effect the use of digital devices has had on our mental health. In a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, German researchers tried to figure out if reducing the time we spend on our phones might improve our happiness. They recruited over 600 people and divided them into three groups – one group who used their phones normally, one group who cut their phone use by one hour each day for a week, and one group of people who didn’t use their smartphones at all for a week. They found that the group who used their phones for just one hour less had less anxiety and improved life satisfaction, and for a longer period of time after the study, compared to people who use their phones for the normal four or more hours each day or who gave them up completely.
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