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Millennials Are Repeatedly Trying To Reduce Their Smartphone Use
Approaches To Reducing smartphone use
To better understand the techniques MIllennials are using to reduce their smartphone use, we asked them to provide examples. Their approaches to reducing smartphone use varied among turning off notifications, turning off their smartphone, asserting their willpower to refrain from checking their smartphone, to using a screen time reducing tool or app.
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We asked respondents for examples of the approaches they have taken to try to reduce their smartphone use, and they presented a range of examples.
More than ⅓ of respondents--34.6%--have used phone apps or tools to assist them in their attempt to reduce their smartphone use. By far, Apple’s built-in tools were used the most, with 23.1% saying they have used Apple’s Screen Time. Only 3.9% of respondents have used Google Wellbeing.
34.6% have used or currently use an app or tool to help reduce smartphone use
Millennials Are Satisfied With Their Attempt to Reduce smartphone use
Of the respondents who reported that they currently or previously attempted to reduce their smartphone use, 71.9% met or exceeded their own expectations.
71.9% either met or exceeded expectations
Millennials’ desire to reduce their smartphone use has not abated. A strong majority of respondents--60.1%--said that they want to reduce their smartphone use in the future, suggesting they view finding a happy medium for their smartphone use as an ongoing challenge.
60.1% say that want to reduce smartphone use in the future
I turned off all notifications for social media and I’m trying to check it less often.*
Every day for a couple of hours, I turn my phone off completely which gives me time to be completely alone.*
I have tried to find specific times where I set my phone down and do not pick it up.*
Leaving it charging across the room, putting it on do not disturb.*
9Millennials Are Concerned About the Impact that Smartphones and Social Media Have On Current and Future Generations
While Millennials struggle individually with their attachment to smartphones and social media, a strong majority see their individual attachment as a symptom of a broader societal problem; one that is negatively impacting their entire generation and that will continue to affect future generations.
Millennials view their smartphone use as a generational problem. A very strong majority of respondents--81.1%--agree or strongly agree that their generation has a problem with smartphone overuse.
Graph: total, Q39ar2, grouping together the Strongly Agree and Agree to highlight 81.1% Strongly Disagree: 3.1%
Disagree: 3.0%
Neutral 12.8%
46.5%
Strongly Agree
Agree 34.6%
Millennials also believe their generation has a problem with social media. A very strong majority of respondents--78.6%--said they either agree or strongly agree that their generation has a problem with social media overuse.
