Is it really the phone? Mental health and how our screens help and harm us
What is the first thing you do when you wake up? If you said you check your phone, this article is probably for you.
Published on the 30 October 2026 by Madeline Kahl
Every Gen Z has heard it before.
Headache? Neck pain? Broken foot? No matter what, it can only be caused by one thing: “It’s the bloody phone!!!” If I had a dollar for every time a family member said that to me…
Now, my broken foot and my 8+ hours of screen time have a non-existent correlation. But with my doomscrolling as rampant as ever, I can’t help but wonder how much my phone influences me, rather than the other way around. I mean my anxiety, overthinking, existential dread? It couldn’t possibly be linked to the rectangle of algorithmic despair in my pocket, right… Right?
I spoke with Associate Professor Carmen Leong from the School of Information Systems and Technology Management for more answers.
How screens have affected our wellbeing
When we talk about “screen time” and mental health, what are we often getting wrong or oversimplifying?
I think what matters most is how and why we use our phones. A large US study of about 4,300 young people, published in JAMA in 2025, found that how much time children spent on screens at age 10 wasn’t linked to later mental health problems, but addictive patterns of use were, such as finding it hard to cut back or using screens to forget about problems. So a better question than “How long?” is “How do I feel afterwards, and what did it replace?”
Digital technologies have become embedded in almost every part of our day. How have they affected sleep?
Sleep is one of the clearest areas of concern. A 2025 study of more than 45,000 university students in Norway found each extra hour of screen use after going to bed was linked to 59% higher odds of insomnia symptoms and about 24 minutes less sleep. Interestingly, it made no real difference whether students were on social media or doing other things on screen. The researchers think the main issue is simply that time on the phone in bed is time not spent asleep.
"If a student changes only one habit, charging the phone outside the bedroom is a good choice."
How screens factor into loneliness and isolation
How has it affected feelings of social isolation?
Honestly, it cuts both ways. For an international student far from family, or someone who feels they don’t fit in on campus, social media can be a lifeline. But it can also replace the face-to-face contact that actually eases loneliness, or leave people watching other people’s social lives from the outside.
As a rule of thumb, online use that leads to real contact helps, like organising a catch-up or joining a club group chat. Scrolling instead of seeing people tends not to help as we can imagine.
Has technology made us less comfortable with boredom, quiet or being alone with our thoughts?
Possibly, though we were never very comfortable with it. In a well-known 2014 study, two-thirds of men and a quarter of women gave themselves a mild electric shock while sitting alone with their thoughts for 15 minutes, even though they had earlier said they would pay to avoid it. Phones just make that discomfort very easy to avoid, so every queue and quiet moment gets filled.
See also
Healthy ways to incorporate screens into our lives
Is a complete “digital detox” useful, or are smaller, more sustainable changes more effective?
For most people, smaller sustainable changes are the better bet. Surprisingly, a 2025 review of social media “abstinence” experiments found that taking a break from social media had no significant effect on mood or life satisfaction, no matter how long the break lasted. One possible reason is that people lose the good parts, like connection and support, along with the bad.
Cutting back, rather than quitting, has shown benefits. That said, even a short detox, like 30 minutes a day, can reset you, show you what you actually miss and highlight the habits you keep afterwards. I would say go with micro-adjustment.
"Pick one change you’ll actually keep, rather than ten you’ll drop by Friday."
What about people who use social media as their main source of connection or support?
We should take that seriously, not judge it.
For a student who is isolated, far from home or can’t afford therapy, online communities can be real support, and telling them to log off may remove the only support they have.
A 2026 NSW Government youth poll also found that 29% of young people use AI as one way to look after their mental health.
"The goal is to add connection, not take it away: help online friendships grow into offline ones and make professional help easy to reach."
That suggests many young people look for support wherever they can find it, and universities can help by making support easy to find and access, including on a phone.
Can we make our screens work for our wellbeing rather than against it?
Yes, but it takes effort from all sides. As individuals, we can use phones for what they do well, like staying in touch, getting support and organising time with friends, and turn off the features designed to keep us scrolling. Universities can teach practical digital skills, cut after-hours messaging and make support services easy to reach.
The bigger shift is also in product design. Australia’s under-16 social media restrictions, and a US jury’s finding this year that Meta and YouTube were negligent in a case centred on design features like infinite scroll and autoplay, show the debate moving from “how much should young people scroll?” to “how should these products be built?” It’s still too early to know how well the restrictions are working, but platforms are clearly being expected to take more responsibility.
So, is it the phone?
No. Rather, it’s what we do with the phone. Small adjustments to your routine can significantly improve your quality of life. Not sure where to start? My friend Shishir has just the thing… Your 5 must-have notifs for mindfulness
All interview quotes have been edited for length and clarity.
Last edited on 30th of October 2026
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