Jan. 29, 2026

This piece is sponsored by Avera Health.

Smartphones – what would we do without them? It might feel like your life revolves around your phone, whether it’s checking your work email, online schedules, the latest headlines, shopping carts or social media.

There can be a downslide to this reliance. Avera psychologist Wallace Jackmon has been studying the link between smartphone apps and a higher risk of anxiety and depression for more than 10 years.

“We now know there’s a correlation between anxiety and depression and accessing certain social media sites,” he said. “It’s causing problems for people’s mental health and leading to increased suicide, kids dropping out of school and interpersonal relationships, not to mention the political ramifications and how that can cause division among families.”

Social media consumes hours every day

An estimated 91 percent of Americans own a smartphone, and people check their phone about 200 times a day, or every few minutes, for a total of about 4 1/2 hours per day.

Smartphone apps can be addictive because of “intermittent reinforcement,” similar to gambling in a casino. In other words, you get continual feedback and intermittent rewards, and you want more, Jackmon said.

“There’s an end to a book or a movie, but social media never ends. That hardwires the brain that ‘I want to keep using it … and get to the end of it,’” Jackmon said.

This is enhanced by the fact that many people need their phones for work. When you check a work email, how often does that lead to some other type of scrolling?

How phone use affects our day

Our increased connection to phones has widespread impact, from physical effects to mental health and productivity.

Physical effects: Smartphones can interrupt sleep patterns, in particular if you use your phone before bed. This can increase the risk of insomnia and decrease the amount of sleep you get.

It also can put you in harm’s way if you’re using your phone while driving. One in four accidents are caused by cellphone use, according to the National Safety Council.

Productivity: Think of how many times you check your phone for work and then end up checking Instagram or Facebook. One quick task can lead to lost minutes throughout the day, Jackmon said.

Even after you get back to the task at hand, it can take several minutes for focus to return to the level it was before you checked your phone. A study from the University of California, Irvine found that it can take as much as 23 minutes to refocus for more difficult tasks.

Relationships: We’ve all been at a restaurant and looked around only to see entire tables looking down at their phones instead of having a real conversation. Choosing our phones over more productive relationships can leave us feeling isolated. But moreover, online relationships aren’t always real, and in many cases, you don’t even know if it’s a real person.

Mental health: “If a person is already suffering from depression, it will increase depression. Period. It’s not even a question,” Jackmon said. That’s because symptoms of depression like indecisiveness and poor concentration are correlated to phone use.

For example, scrolling influencer content, looking at beautiful meals, seemingly perfect families and high-priced homes can make you feel like a failure even though in most instances the content is highly curated and unrealistic. That can decrease self-esteem, which is also a symptom of depression, Jackmon explained.

The 24/7 availability of news can make you feel personally involved in a national or world crisis and keep you focused on bad news, creating fear and uncertainty. While people want to stay informed, it’s important to choose reliable sources and balance your news consumption.

How to have a healthy relationship with your phone

How do you know when your phone use becomes a problem? Ask yourself these questions:

• Does it interfere with your thinking, sleep or behavioral patterns?
• Does it interfere with your interpersonal relationships?
• Does it keep you from being productive at work or in the classroom?

Here are a few tips for decreasing dependence on your phone:

• Delete apps from your phone so they’re not easily accessible.
• Limit your phone use and your family’s screen time. Use programs that automatically turn off access.
• Set limits to checking work email and related apps.
• Put phones away during important times like mealtimes or family conversations.
• Don’t allow phones in the bedroom. Invest in an analog alarm clock.

 “It’s about being more aware and mindful of how your phone might be interfering in your life,” Jackmon said. Most of us aren’t able to entirely disconnect from our phones, but ask yourself, “Could you cut back?”

Learn more about behavioral health services at Avera.