Apple CEO Says Get Off Your Phone (And Science Agrees With Him)

Apple CEO Tim Cook likely surprised at least some "Good Morning America" viewers in a recent interview on the program when the tech titan suggested that people could benefit from spending less time on their digital devices. As People reports, speaking with host Michael Strahan (and discussing the very smartphones Apple company makes), Cook said, "I don't want people using them too much. I don't want people looking at the smartphone more than they're looking in someone's eyes. This is not how you want to spend your day. Go out and spend it in nature."

Cook may have a point, even if he's the last person most would expect to make it. Consider just one alarming statistic: According to Common Sense Media, between 2015 and 2021, the average U.S. teen between the ages of 13 and 18 years spent over eight hours a day engaging with screen-based media. Unfortunately, as discussed in a paper in the academic journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, smartphone dependence can have significant negative effects on both mental and physical health. On the other hand, by understanding the ways excessive smartphone and digital device usage can cause harm, users might begin to appreciate the true benefits of taking Cook's advice.

The negative health consequences of spending huge chunks of the day scrolling come in a variety of forms. Some merely involve physical discomfort. For example, staring down at a phone or even a computer monitor for long stretches of time can result in "tech neck," a general term encompassing a range of posture issues. Other effects of smartphone dependence can be more insidious. Apps, websites, and various other stimuli your phone provides access to can offer quick and convenient hits of dopamine, which could result in a cycle very much like addiction.

A user feels an urge to almost constantly check their phone or open an app to chase another dopamine boost. According to the Frontiers in Psychiatry study, this cycle can result in a decrease in impulse control. The paper also touches on the way smartphone usage can impact sleep duration and quality. The authors cite various studies demonstrating a link between excessive screen time and poor sleep. If smartphones are depriving people of sleep, the health consequences can range from irritability to heart disease.

Depression is another potential health issue resulting from long hours spent scrolling. The authors of the paper cite a study that shows that spending more than two hours a day interacting with screens increases the risk of depression in U.S. children and adolescents. That study demonstrates that "the risk increases with the duration of exposure."

Ironically, as you read this, you might feel you're currently doing what research like this warns against: doom-scrolling. That's why it's also vital to learn about potential solutions. For instance, as another paper in BMC Medicine covers, reducing average daily smartphone time for just three weeks yields mental health benefits. The Frontiers in Psychiatry paper addresses other ways to guard against the negative health effects of smartphone dependence.

They recommend that smartphone users make a point of knowing precisely what tasks they wish to accomplish when picking up their phones. Aiming to only use phones to complete certain tasks can ideally lead to less scrolling. That said, in the digital age, most can't avoid using their phones and other devices entirely. The paper's authors thus point out that engaging in exercise has been shown to be an effective way to counteract the health consequences of too much screen time.

In addition, a simple upgrade like a monitor stand can reduce your chances of experiencing tech neck. Smartphones and digital devices aren't going anywhere. However, that doesn't mean we need to let them dominate how we spend our days. That's the kind of reasonable stance on technology that even Tim Cook agrees with.