Phone addiction is a reality many Americans recognize in themselves. You reach for your device to read something quickly, and an hour vanishes. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this summer, more than half of adults believe they spend too much time on their smartphones.
Among the nearly 10,000 respondents, all 18 and older, 53% said they use their phones too much, while 36% said they use them “about the right amount.” The habit skews younger: 70% of those aged 18 to 29 and 64% of those aged 30 to 49 felt they overused their devices. About 42% of the youngest group said they were on their phones “almost constantly.”
Digital marketing platform Semrush estimates that people worldwide average 4 hours and 37 minutes per day on their phones, rising to 5 hours and 16 minutes in the US, with an average of 58 daily checks. Put in perspective, 5 hours a day adds up to 76 full 24-hour days each year. Beginning at midnight on Jan. 1, you wouldn’t set the phone down until around St. Patrick’s Day.
The Real Risks of Excessive Screen Time
Heavy phone use carries serious consequences. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 3,208 people were killed in 2024 in auto accidents caused by distracted driving, which includes talking or texting behind the wheel. “Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 5 seconds,” the agency notes. “At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.”
Physical accidents are also common. First Aid for Life, a UK-based training provider, said 41% of people in the UK have suffered some type of phone-related accident. Research from Columbia University’s department of psychiatry links excessive device and social media use to anxiety, stress, depression, social isolation, feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and even thoughts of suicide and self-harm.
In the Pew survey, the leading downside of heavy screen time was reduced sleep, cited by 41% of respondents. Another 34% said phone use hurt their productivity, compared with 30% who said it helped.
How Americans Are Cutting Back
Awareness is prompting action. In the Pew study, 45% said they had tried to reduce their phone use over the previous year, while 46% had not. Of those attempting to cut back, only 25% rated their efforts as extremely or very successful, and 52% described them as somewhat successful.
For iPhone owners, one simple tactic may help. Hiding apps inside a folder in the App Library can discourage mindless opening when you’re bored, since it adds extra steps before you reach them. The added friction makes it harder to fall into automatic scrolling.
The survey drew responses from nearly 10,000 US adults aged 18 and older.
