Just over half of U.S. adults say they spend too much time on their smartphones, with concern highest among younger adults, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
About one-third said they spend about the right amount of time on their phones, while 3% said they spend too little time. Seven in 10 adults younger than 30 said their use was excessive, compared with about a quarter of adults 65 and older.
Many have tried to cut back
Forty-five percent of adults said they had tried to reduce their smartphone use during the previous 12 months, while 46% said they had not. Among those who believed they used their phone too much, 62% had attempted to cut back.
Of people who tried, 25% described themselves as very or extremely successful. Another 52% said they were somewhat successful, and 23% said they were not too successful or not successful at all.
Adults younger than 50 were more likely to attempt a reduction than older groups. Pew found relatively little age difference, however, in how successful people believed those attempts had been.
Frequent use remains common
One-quarter of adults said they use a smartphone almost constantly, and 60% said they use one several times a day. The “almost constantly” share was 42% among adults younger than 30 and 9% among those 65 and older.
Respondents generally saw phones as useful for information and connection. Roughly three-quarters said smartphones helped them stay informed, and about half said the devices helped them feel connected with other people.
Views were more mixed on productivity and mood. Adults reported both benefits and drawbacks, suggesting the effect often depends on how and when a phone is used.
Sleep stands out as a concern
Forty-one percent said smartphones hurt their sleep, compared with 5% who said phones helped. Nearly half said the devices had no effect on their sleep.
The perceived downside was larger among younger adults. Sixty-two percent of adults younger than 30 said smartphones hurt their sleep, as did about half of adults ages 30 to 49.
The findings are based on a survey of 9,750 U.S. adults conducted May 26 to June 1 through Pew's American Trends Panel. Pew said the panel is designed to represent the national adult population.
The results describe respondents' perceptions of their phone use and its effects; they do not measure screen time directly or establish that smartphones caused the reported outcomes.
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