To reduce phone use.. here is a simple and effective method

Researchers have uncovered a simple and effective way to help people reduce smartphone use and improve their digital habits.

The results of the study, conducted by researchers from institutions in India and Spain and published in the Journal of Social Sciences and Medicine, indicate that people who independently chose the amount of time to reduce phone use were more committed to their goals than those for whom the researchers set a unified goal.

The results showed that the group whose members chose their own goals achieved the best performance, as their phone use decreased by an average of 49 minutes per day, compared to 23 minutes for the group for which the researchers set a goal. The first group also succeeded in achieving its daily goals by 11% more than the second group.

In contrast, phone use among members of the group for which no goal was set increased by an average of 11 minutes per day during the study period.

The effect of setting goals was not limited to the trial period, as phone use continued to decrease after the end of the intervention. During the follow-up period, members of the group that chose their own goals used their phones about 16 minutes less per day compared to the level of use before the start of the study, while the decrease reached about 11 minutes for the group for which the researchers set their goals. As for the control group, its use increased by two minutes per day compared to the baseline.

The results of the questionnaires also indicated an improvement in some mental health indicators among participants who succeeded in reducing the use of their phones. However, the researchers cautioned that it is necessary to deal with this result with caution, given that only 93 participants completed the mental health part, and the differences between the two intervention groups were not statistically significant.

Researchers believe that choosing a goal for a person himself may increase his sense of responsibility towards it, make him more motivated to commit to it, and may also help him set a goal that he sees as realistic and achievable. (Russia Today)