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. 2022 May 17:1-23.
doi: 10.1007/s11469-022-00826-w. Online ahead of print.

A Nudge-Based Intervention to Reduce Problematic Smartphone Use: Randomised Controlled Trial

Jay A Olson  1 , Dasha A Sandra  2 , Denis Chmoulevitch  3 , Amir Raz  1   4 , Samuel P L Veissière  1
Affiliations

A Nudge-Based Intervention to Reduce Problematic Smartphone Use: Randomised Controlled Trial

Jay A Olson et al. Int J Ment Health Addict. .

Abstract

Problematic smartphone use is rising across the world. We tested an intervention with ten strategies that nudge users to reduce their smartphone use, for example by disabling non-essential notifications and changing their display to greyscale. Participants first completed baseline measures of smartphone use, well-being, and cognition before choosing which intervention strategies to follow for 2 to 6 weeks. Study 1 ( N = 51 ) used a pre-post design while study 2 ( N = 70 ) compared the intervention to a control group who monitored their screen time. Study 1 found reductions in problematic smartphone use, screen time, and depressive symptoms after 2 weeks. Study 2 found that the intervention reduced problematic smartphone use, lowered screen time, and improved sleep quality compared to the control group. Our brief intervention returned problematic smartphone use scores to normal levels for at least 6 weeks. These results demonstrate that various strategies can be combined while maintaining feasibility and efficacy.

Keywords: Depression; Intervention; Nudges; Problematic smartphone use; Screen time; Smartphone addiction.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of InterestThe authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Dependent measures by time and condition. In both studies, during the intervention, participants reduced their problematic smartphone use (A) and screen time (B). In study 1, participants reduced in depression (C), but there was relatively little change between the groups in study 2. Only in study 2, sleep quality increased (D). Dots show means and bands show 95% confidence intervals. Solid lines show main study period; dotted lines show exploratory follow-up period
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Effect sizes across studies between the baseline and 2 weeks later. Error bars show bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Exploratory baseline correlations across both studies. There were notable positive correlations between problematic smartphone use, depression, and negative mood. ** p < .01, *** p < .001
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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