The effects of goal setting, notification alerts, and sharing results with peers on smartphone usage

Abstract

Smartphones are highly complex machines serving multiple purposes. Although access to different applications may be a source of inspiration and may lead to increased well-being, excessive screen time usage can lead to increased stress, reduced physical activity, and neck and shoulder discomfort. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of (a) goal setting, (b) turning off notifications, and (c) sharing information about screen time with peers on smartphone usage in a sample of young adults who reported interest in reducing their smartphone usage. Goal setting and turning off notifications for social media applications effectively reduced smartphone usage for five out of seven participants. Sharing information with peers did not lead to decreased smartphone usage. Follow-up measures showed an increase in smartphone usage compared to the intervention phases. With only a few studies on strategies to reduce smartphone usage within behavior analysis, the current study expands the literature and provides directions for future studies.