Smartphones have become an important part of our daily life. We use them to work, communicate, and entertain ourselves, and they keep us constantly connected. However, a recent study shows something surprising: only two weeks without using mobile internet on your smartphone can reverse 10 years of cognitive aging. This means that the brain can function better and focus more, simply by limiting the access to the internet on smartphones. Does this mean you need to completely stop using your smartphone? Not at all, but to learn more about this, let’s talk in more detail about what we should do.
How smartphones affect us
Smartphones allow us to have access to information anywhere and anytime. Even though this seems useful, it can also affect our concentration because constant notifications and social media make it hard to focus on important tasks.
The study found out that blocking mobile internet for two weeks improves concentration:
- Participants could focus longer on everyday tasks.
- 91% of people improved in at least one aspect of their cognitive performance.
- Objective measurements confirmed that the ability to concentrate increased.
The improvement of the concentration was related to how people used their time. Without immediate access to social media or apps, they spend more energy on significant activities like reading, thinking, or working on personal projects. Basically, limiting mobile internet on smartphones strengthens our capacity for being focused and reduces mental overload caused by being constantly connected.
Mental health
Mental health is one of the most affected aspects by the excessive use of smartphones. The study showed that participants who blocked mobile internet experienced: less anxiety, higher feeling of calm, and more satisfaction with their daily life.
Don’t you feel strees when you constaly receive notifications and digital content? If this is your case, blocking mobile internet allows you to have a more natural rhythm of interacting with your surroundings.
If you are worried becuase you think you need to completely stop using your smartphone, you should know that calls and messages can still function to keep essential communication without digital overload affecting you. We all need to be in contact with our friends and families.
Time use and wellbeing
Another finding from this study was how participants’ activities changed when disconnecting from mobile internet:
- They spent more time socializing with friends and family members.
- They did physical exercise.
- They enjoyed more time with nature and outside activities.
These activities are directly related to subjective wellbeing. By replacing the use of smartphones for real experiences, people strengthened their social relationships and felt more personal satisfaction.
What we can take from the study is that not using mobile internet improves your concentration, mental health, and encourages a more active and consistent lifestyle.
To sum up
Taking a short break from using the internet on your smartphone can really improve your wellbeing. Forget about not being able to completely use your phone, just simply by turning off mobile internet can help your brain focus, lower stress, and let you enjoy life more.
I know this seems a bit difficult to do because we use mobile internet on a daily basis for most things of our lives, but in the end it is worthwhile. I mean, our mental health and wellbeing are the most important things we need to care about, so why not start with something we can all do? Just give it a go, and see if it works for you. You have nothing to lose.