Digital Detox Study

Launched by DANUBE UNIVERSITY KREMS · Mar 27, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

The Digital Detox Study is a research trial aimed at understanding how reducing smartphone use can impact mental health. Specifically, it looks at whether cutting down on screen time to a maximum of 2 hours per day for three weeks can improve feelings of depression, stress, sleep quality, and overall well-being. To participate, you need to be at least 18 years old, use your smartphone for 3 hours or more daily, understand German well, and not be undergoing any current psychological treatment.

If you're eligible and decide to join, you'll be placed in one of two groups: one that reduces smartphone use and another that continues their usual screen time. Throughout the study, you'll complete some surveys about your mental health, sleep, and feelings of loneliness. The study will use a smartphone app to track your screen time and other activities, making it easy to participate from home. After the three-week period, researchers will compare the results from both groups to see how reducing screen time affected mental health outcomes.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • healthy subjects
• • greater-equal 18 years
• • sufficient German skills
• • using a smartphone daily 3 hours or more
• • no ongoing psychotherapy, psychological or psychopharmacological treatment
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Age under 18 years
• • insufficient German skills
• • Smartphone use less than 3 hours per day
• • ongoing psychotherapy, psychological or psychopharmacological treatment