The effects of goal-setting, notification alerts, and sharing results with peers on screen time usage

Abstract

Screen time may be problematic for some people. It can be an issue since excessive screen time usage can lead to increased stress, anxiety, loneliness, depression, decrease in sleep quality, and a decrease in well-being. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects that (a) setting goals, (b) turning off notifications, and (c) sharing information about participant’s usage with their peers would have on reducing screen time (measured in minutes) on a sample of adults in Iceland. Participants with the intention to reduce their screen time usage were recruited from an advertisement in a Facebook group. The dependent variable was the duration of screen time usage in minutes. The independent variables were setting goals, turning off notifications on social media applications, and sharing information about screen time with a peer. The experimental design in the study was a non-concurrent multiple baseline across participants. The results showed that setting goals and turning off notifications for social media applications was effective to reduce screen time usage for five out of seven participants. Overall, these results imply the potential usefulness of goal setting and turning off notifications for reducing self-reported excessive screen time usage on smartphones.Keywords: Goal setting, notifications, sharing results, social media, screen time, smartphones