The report says people spend a lot of their time doomscrolling (Stock image) (Image: Getty)
Brits are set to waste five years of their lives on “mindless” phone use, like doomscrolling and checking notifications, according to groundbreaking research published today. The study showed that more than a third of the time people spend on their phones is without a clear purpose – equivalent to around an hour and 26 minutes each day.
It found that the more time spent on a phone in this way, the more likely a person is to experience negative effects. And the research study, which included surveying more than 6,000 people, estimates that 14 million people in the UK spend more than half of their phone time without a clear purpose.
Out of the study participants that used their phones in this way, two in five (41%) report poor sleep linked to phone or internet use, 23% say their attention span is shorter alongside reduced in-person social connection, and six in ten (61%) admit they are not fully present in real-life moments – spending time with loved-ones or enjoying live music – because of their digital habits.
They are also more likely to encounter harmful or unpleasant content online, with 24% reporting exposure.
The study by Virgin Media O2 has led to experts warning that action needs to be taken so people can regain control of their lives online.
The research comes as the telecomms giant launches its digital wellbeing manifesto, in which it pledges to address how adults and society engage with digital technology.
It is also introducing a new digital intentionality score, an interactive tool to help individuals assess their digital habits and benchmark them against the national average.
Dr Eleanor Drage, Senior Research Fellow, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, wrote a foreword for the report.
Speaking to Daily Express she said: “What is actually very brave about the research is it shows it’s not just individuals, we don’t exist in a vacuum, we can’t retake control on our own. That’s way too much to ask of an individual person.”
Dr Drage is embarking on a five-year research project (Image: Dr Eleanor Drage)
Dr Drage added: “This requires an entire structural upheaval. We need a big change, not just your phone giving you a little app that says, you know, your time is now up because we all know that we just click, okay give me more time.
“We need a whole shift in the way that we are interacting with our phones and that requires all these different kinds of stakeholders to get involved. For example, we might think that ethics is just like me coming from Cambridge and saying some stuff, but actually ethical phone use has got to do with the conversations that we have between me, the public, educators, schools, and companies must be involved as well.
“I think it’s really cool that Virgin Media O2 are willing to take the first step and say, right corporations need to stop shying away from this conversation.”
The company is funding the establishment of a five-year study of digital wellbeing with the University of Cambridge. This will include Dr Drage and her colleagues looking at the way generative AI affects people’s digital wellbeing online.
Virgin Media O2’s chief executive, Lutz Schüler, said: “As one of the UK’s largest connectivity providers, we believe our responsibility goes beyond simply keeping people connected. Building trust in the digital world means helping people feel more informed, more confident, and more in control of their online lives.
“That’s why Virgin Media O2 is investing in long-term research, partnerships and practical support to better understand how digital habits are changing, and how technology can work better for people and not just demand more of their attention.”