Your Student Life: Reducing Phone Use

June 23, 2026

Most of us know the feeling: we enter summer full of renewed optimism about the months we’ll spend hitting our reading goals, becoming a regular at the gym and getting eight hours of sleep. Then suddenly it’s August and you realize you spent way more of your summer “rotting” than you’d planned. 

You’re not alone: a 2025 survey of college students in the U.K. and Ireland found that 68% of respondents said they would like to reduce screen time.

Here are six tips to make it happen this summer:

·         Set a realistic goal. If your baseline screen time is six hours, aiming for one is probably a long-shot to start out with. Reducing it by even half an hour is a solid place to start.

·         Pay attention to self-talk. Shame usually isn’t a great motivator long-term, and it’s hard to make changes if we convince ourselves we’re inherently lazy or incapable.
Technology has a lot of positive uses, but some apps and websites are literally meant to be addictive. You’re not a failure for experiencing those effects.

·         Consider the “why.” We wouldn’t be on our phones so much if we weren’t getting something out of it. Maybe it’s entertainment, distraction, a sense of social connection, or a way to deep dive into our interests. Are there other ways you can meet those needs that feel more fulfilling—even if you’re still turning to your phone for them some of the time?

·         Beware of too much unstructured time. Having some chill time is totally fine and probably necessary. Structure is also important to our mental health. It doesn’t have to mean work or school; we can also find structure in hobbies and social life. Consider planning out how you’ll spend some of the time you hope to free up by reducing screen time.

·         Disrupt the habit. For a lot of us, picking up our phone is automatic. We may not be intending to spend an hour scrolling TikTok, but suddenly a notification pops up and one thing leads to another...but if we make it just a little more inconvenient to pick up the phone, it becomes a more intentional choice and you can feel more in control.

®    Some people like to use software to block their access to specific apps for set time periods, but sometimes it’s enough to leave your phone across the room or set a long password on your laptop.

·         Set boundaries. If your phone is face-down across the room while you study, you might take a little longer to see the reel your friend sent. One of the challenging things about modern tech is the idea that we can be in contact with our social circle at any time. Which was exciting until we realized how unsustainable it was.

If you’re known for your quick response time, it can be helpful to let your friends and family know that you’re working on limiting screen time and they may be left on read for a little longer, but you will watch that reel eventually!

Counseling and Consultation Service
Office of Student Life