Alright, can we admit it? We are pretty obsessed with our devices, aren’t we? It’s okay, you’re not alone.

According to the Pew Research Center, 96% of Americans own a mobile smartphone. On average, Americans spend about five hours a day on their phones. ¹

But can you blame us? Smartphones have allowed us to always remain connected and have provided conveniences far beyond initial comprehension.

Of course, not everything is perfect. At one time, we were astounded by all technology could offer. Now we get upset if our phones are missing a feature or take too much time to load.

And let’s not forget what these products are doing to our attention spans. We’re sure you’ve read the headlines that claim young people have the attentiveness of a goldfish. However, most research is currently inconclusive and such claims are not based on facts. ²

Throughout this article, we’ll look at technology’s effects on our attention spans and mental health.

The Link Between Technology and Mental Health

The ideas of being “always connected” or “constantly online” have become the standard. Our devices and web platforms allow interconnection in ways no previous generation experienced.

However, is this interconnection really beneficial for mental health? Newly termed disorders have recently floated around, such as “tech fatigue” and “cell phone addiction.” ³ Not to mention, the ever-growing rise of the “fear of missing out” (FOMO) that social media perpetuates. ⁴

On top of this, there’s been a rise in depression and anxiety-related conditions, many of which are believed to be connected to technology. ⁵ Recent research from the University of Arizona showed that adolescents who are addicted to their smartphones are more likely to show signs of depression and loneliness.

Another study by the Child Mind Institute looked into adolescents, phone use, and device addiction. It was reported that “teens and young adults (14- to 22-years-old) had mixed feelings about social media use. Respondents who had symptoms of moderate to severe depression said they were more likely to feel left out when they use social media, or think that others are doing better than they are.” ²

So, with these concerns, how can we approach and address them? Well, a professor who has a pretty interesting take on this issue.

Tech Jet Lag: How a Professor Sums Up Tech Fatigue

When we talk about tech fatigue, we aren’t solely referring to the stress and exhaustion caused by excessive technology use. We are also talking about becoming fatigued about the subject of technology.

Associate Professor of History of Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, Chris Lee, wrote a book about this technological fatigue phenomenon. Within it, he takes the complexity of apathy, exhaustion, and annoyance we feel towards technology and simplifies it to the feeling of jet lag.

Jet lag is “a travel-induced circadian rhythm disorders” that cause sleep disturbances and other mental impairments. ⁶ However, concerning technology, Lee utilizes jet lag to sum up the sensation of being exhausted by an ever-connected and accelerated world.

How to Combat Tech Jet Lag

In an interview with the school’s newspaper, Lee discusses how to combat tech jet lag in your personal life. The most essential element is, as Lee puts it, “pay attention and slow down our lives.” ³

It’s not enough to just distance yourself from your technology. To combat this fatigue, we have to make an effort to live our lives separated but not completely torn away from our devices.

Limiting Device Use Through Restriction

Of course, in this day and age, it’s almost impossible to live a tech-free lifestyle. However, limiting your time and transitioning that time to be spent in the “real world” is the most natural and rational way to fight this fatigue. The tech stress and fatigue issue has become such a problem that device-restrictive companies like Yondr have sprouted up in recent years.

Yondr offers entertainment venues and educational establishments the ability to restrict attendees’ phone usage. To do so, it locks personal devices in a sealed container that they take with them when they enter the venue or establishment. From there, they can dispose of their phone and retrieve it at the end of the event.

Yondr stresses that its products are not meant to infringe on the attendees’ rights. Rather, it’s to provide a distraction-free environment and limit the risk of piracy through illegal recordings. Many celebrities have utilized services like Yondr to lock fans’ phones during their events, such as Dave Chappelle, Tracey Morgan, Alicia Keys, and Guns’N’Roses.

Although it’s a unique approach to try and get complete focus, it can also create a more enjoyable experience. On top of that, it prevents the sharing of events that may lead others online to FOMO.

Kelly Taylor, director of marketing at Yondr, has stated that it also benefits the artist performing. She points out that having a phone locked away allows the artist to, “feel better to perform to a crowd that’s present, engaged, and actually with you in the room instead of on that’s constantly texting or recording you.”

Admittedly, some feel uncomfortable locking their phones away. There are different reasons for this, including the need to be in contact with family members and/or babysitters. However, most have reported that a distraction-free entertainment experience was far more enjoyable than one with devices.

References

¹ Rathod AS, Ingole A, Gaidhane A, Choudhari SG. Psychological Morbidities Associated With Excessive Usage of Smartphones Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Review. Cureus. 2022 Oct 27;14(10):e30756. doi: 10.7759/cureus.30756. PMID: 36447680; PMCID: PMC9700485.

² Wilmer HH, Sherman LE, Chein JM. Smartphones and Cognition: A Review of Research Exploring the Links between Mobile Technology Habits and Cognitive Functioning. Front Psychol. 2017 Apr 25;8:605. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00605. PMID: 28487665; PMCID: PMC5403814.

³ Yasin S, Altunisik E, Tak AZA. Digital Danger in Our Pockets: Effect of Smartphone Overuse on Mental Fatigue and Cognitive Flexibility. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2023 Aug 1;211(8):621-626. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001675. Epub 2023 Jun 5. PMID: 37276513.

⁴ Rozgonjuk D, Sindermann C, Elhai JD, Montag C. Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and social media’s impact on daily-life and productivity at work: Do WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat Use Disorders mediate that association? Addict Behav. 2020 Nov;110:106487. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106487. Epub 2020 May 27. PMID: 32674020.

⁵ Teepe GW, Glase EM, Reips UD. Increasing digitalization is associated with anxiety and depression: A Google Ngram analysis. PLoS One. 2023 Apr 7;18(4):e0284091. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284091. PMID: 37027368; PMCID: PMC10081798.

⁶ Sasaki M. [Jet lag syndrome]. Nihon Rinsho. 1998 Feb;56(2):396-403. Japanese. PMID: 9503841.