Is Smartphone Use Bad for Your Health?

Do you spend a lot of time — maybe too much time — on your smartphone or tablet?

Do you cringe when you see that weekly screen time report? Do you feel you can't do or remember things you once could because now you don't have to? When you look up from your screen, do you wonder if that blurry vision is something that could permanently damage your eyesight? Do you ever wish you could get back that half hour (or three) you just spent playing word games, watching reels or mindlessly scrolling?

If you answered yes to any (or all) of these questions, you're not alone. Smartphone use has become all but necessary for people of all ages these days.

But how we use our devices, for how long and how often, can impact our health as we age, either positively or negatively. Read on to learn what you don't need to worry about and what you should be wary of.

It can be scary when we read terms like "digital dementia" and "digital distraction" in news headlines, but according to Jared Benge, associate professor in the department of neurology at the Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, the scientific research to date doesn't support the theory that digital devices are speeding cognitive decline in older adults. In fact, some studies have shown the opposite may be true.

In a 2022 study published in the journal Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Benge and colleagues found that while smartphone use may be linked with increased distractibility and reliance on the devices for memory tasks, subjects who used their phones more actually reported having fewer subjective cognitive concerns.

"There are a number of ways to look at this data," Benge says in a phone interview. "It could be a digital biomarker of cognitive decline, meaning individuals who already have worse cognition aren't using their devices. The other possibility is that digital interaction provides stimulation that helps protect cognitive function. Also, both things can be true at the same time."

There could be an upper limit to any benefits, though. "I haven't seen the magic number (for screen time)," Benge says, "but there's at least one study that showed an inverse U curve, where no internet use equalled worse cognition, then you see a gradual improvement as screen time increases until you reach a peak and then it comes back down."

While research indicates that moderate device use isn't harmful, that's not the case for individuals who truly can't stay off of them.

"Smartphone addiction," or "problematic use," or "over-dependence" are all terms researchers use to describe the growing problem of people interacting with their devices in ways that are unhealthy. Time spent on the device, how often the user feels compelled to look at it, the types of activities it is used for and whether all of that is interfering with other facets of life are factors used to determine whether a problem exists.

While the vast majority of research on smartphone use and addiction has been aimed at children and adolescents, a growing body of research is looking at middle-aged and older adults, and the research says we may have a problem, too.

In a study comparing smartphone addiction across age groups, younger participants were much more likely to develop an addiction, but, the authors wrote, "Older age individuals appear to display deeper physical and psychological symptoms associated with withdrawal [from their devices] than the younger age groups."

A survey study out of China found a strong correlation between smartphone addiction and loneliness, depression and poor family relationships among older adults. However, it is unknown whether smartphone addiction causes or is the result of loneliness and depression.

Too much screen time can lead to physical health problems, too, like increasing sedentary behavior, and contributing to poor sleep.

That's the case for Kim Oberdorfer, a 51 year-old air traffic controller from Oakland, California, who says, "I don't think I've had a decent night's sleep since I got an iPhone, since about 2014. My phone use is, like, 10 hours a day. I find myself scrolling down Instagram and threads will come up. And it's the most inane observations people are making, or it's a lot of rage — you know, political stuff — so it gets me all fired up. I do read on the Kindle app on my phone before bed, so that's some of that time, but it's making it so that, I'm not sure, but I think my vision might even be affected by it."

Oberdorfer's eye strain is common among those who stare at their devices for prolonged periods, but according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, blurred vision and dry eyes are temporary conditions, typically remedied by following a list of simple tips.

There are, of course, ways we can use our devices that benefit our health as we age, like using meditation apps, sleep and exercise trackers, finding healthy recipes, fostering social connection or keeping our minds engaged with brain-stimulating games.

"I listen to audio books while hiking, which is really motivating," Oberdorfer says, "and I play games like the crossword and am learning a language."

According to Benge, there isn't enough research to "know yet definitively whether how you're spending time on your device impacts cognition." However, a 2023 randomized control trial found that subjects using either a language learning app or a brain exercise app five days per week for 30 minutes a day showed more improvement on cognitive executive function tests than those in a control group who were placed on a waitlist.

Our devices undoubtedly help us stay connected to faraway friends and loved ones. "My sister lives 3,000 miles away, so that's really the only way I can hang out with her, through Instagram and Facebook," Oberdorfer says.

Jane Swenson, a 79-year-old retired social worker from Walker, Minnesota, also uses her smartphone to keep in touch with siblings, but in the traditional way. "I mostly use my phone for making phone calls," she says. "I scroll through posts on Facebook, but never post anything on there."

Swenson, who reported that her most recent daily average screen time was just under 2 hours, also regularly plays solitaire and a word game on her smartphone, but says she sometimes "gets into trouble" from friends for not answering messages. 

"I don't live by my phone," she said. "I think it's a very good tool, but we've become very dependent on it, even if we don't want to be."

It's true that by using these amazing devices we create some of modern life's biggest conundrums: they save us time on many tasks, which we typically then waste engaging with them in other ways. They bridge thousands of miles between us and far-away loved ones, as they simultaneously rob our attention from those sitting right next to us. They help us remember what we need from the grocery store, but not what we came into this room for.

At the end of the day, as with most things health-related, it's each of our responsibility to use our devices in ways that help, rather than hurt, us.

Rashelle Brown is a long-time fitness professional and freelance writer with hundreds of bylines in print and online. She is a regular contributor for NextAvenue and the Active Network, and is the author of Reboot Your Body: Unlocking the Genetic Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss (Turner Publishing). Connect with her on Twitter and Instagram @RashelleBrownMN. Read More