Does time on our phones change our brain chemistry?

Smartphones are great tools for staying connected, playing games, finding Wanted Win promo code, and even learning new things. But spending too much time on our phones can also be harmful. A question many people ask is whether constant phone use actually changes how our brains work. What does the research really say?

Smartphones and the human brain

Most of us have become so accustomed to using our smartphones that we feel uncomfortable when the device is not immediately within reach. This is especially true for young people. Experts have been warning about excessive screen time for years, but what are the real consequences of carrying these small devices everywhere we go?

For many people, the first thing they look at in the morning is their smartphone, and at night, the small screen is often the last thing they see before falling asleep. At home, on the go, or at work, smartphones are always by our side. Some experts believe this constant presence not only wastes time but can also negatively affect the brain.

According to Martin Korte, a brain researcher from the Technical University of Braunschweig, the effect that mobile phone use has on our brains depends largely on how often we use the devices and what we do on them. The brain changes its neural pathways whenever we learn something new – and that includes learning how to use a mobile phone. Synapses become stronger, processing pathways change, and we get better at using the device. In that sense, this improvement is a learning effect.

Multitasking and its impact on concentration

The problem is that many people use their phones in multitasking mode – for many different purposes at once. “It’s almost impossible to separate these activities because the devices are always with us. We’re constantly looking at them, or when we’re not looking, we have to actively suppress the urge to pick up the phone,” explains Korte. This mental effort consumes computing capacity in the brain.

A 2023 study from the University of Paderborn reported in Scientific Reports that smartphones can influence attention even when they are not actively being used. The mere presence of a phone reduces attention span and slows down work speed, which negatively affects cognitive performance. The conclusion was clear: people work more slowly with smartphones.

“If you always use part of your brain’s computing capacity to prepare for mobile phone use, to think about it, or to operate it while doing something else, this makes us more easily distracted over time,” says Korte. In practice, we end up conditioning ourselves to pay less attention to the task at hand and focus instead on whether the phone is about to send us a signal.

What Children Need to Reach Their Full Potential

Parents can have a greater influence on their children’s intellectual development than they often realise. But too much pressure from parents can also do harm. Supporting children’s natural interests and hobbies is often more effective than pushing them into structured learning too early.

“Some studies show that multitasking makes it take twice as long to learn something. You make 40 percent more mistakes and have more difficulty recalling what you have learned,” says Korte. “People who work in multitasking mode very often have a poorer memory.” Fortunately, this is reversible. If people change their behaviour, their memory can recover to its original strength.

Excessive mobile phone use also means that important time for daydreaming and doing nothing is lost. Studies show that digital media can make us less creative if we use them too much, because we no longer give ourselves enough idle time. Yet it is precisely in these quiet moments that we often come up with our best ideas.

Effects on Children and Young People

Spending too much time on smartphones or tablets can be particularly harmful for children. The earlier they start using devices excessively, the greater the risk. “You can see in children who already spend a lot of time on tablets and smartphones in kindergarten and primary school that an important connection between the two major language areas, Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area, is suffering,” explains Korte. One possible result is language development disorders.

Children who spend a lot of time on mobile phones also often find it harder to empathise with others. “They are less empathetic. It’s not just about having feelings, but about being able to imagine what other people are thinking,” says Korte.

Researchers also note a worrying trend of children and young people moving away from active communication and towards passive video consumption, particularly on platforms like TikTok. “There is a trend towards interacting less and less with others on social media and becoming more of a passive video junkie à la TikTok,” warns Korte.

Isabel Brandhorst, who leads the research group on internet-related disorders and computer game addiction at Tübingen University Hospital, shares this concern. “The user group is getting younger and younger, especially with TikTok. Written language is being used less and less, and social networks are becoming more accessible to children who have not yet mastered written language.”

Internet Use and Addiction

Korte also believes that excessive internet and mobile phone use can become addictive for some people. “There are people who become so dependent that internet use has an addictive effect, because they neglect other things and constantly procrastinate.”

Experts now say that this excessive internet use is a disorder. Online computer games play a major role here. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised computer gaming addiction as a disease in 2017. The criteria include reduced control over use, prioritising it over other parts of life such as school, family, and health, and continuing the behaviour despite harmful consequences.

To be considered a disorder, this behaviour must generally persist for twelve months or recur regularly and cause significant distress, explains Brandhorst. Similar patterns are seen in social network use, although this has not yet been officially recognised as a disorder.

Effects on Mental Health

The impact of excessive smartphone and social media use on mental health is less clear. Some studies suggest links to depression and anxiety, while others find no solid correlation. Reliable data for clear conclusions is often not available, as large companies such as Meta rarely release it.

Still, experts agree that social media encourages social comparison, particularly among young people. “Take Instagram, for example,” says Korte. “Young people compare themselves constantly: What do others look like? What do I look like? Am I measuring up?” What many forget is that social media shows only a narrow and often unrealistic slice of reality.

Healthy Smartphone Use

According to Korte, using a smartphone is not harmful in itself. The real problem is how we use it. Healthy use means creating enough distance so that we only reach for the device when it is truly necessary.

Practical steps include keeping the phone out of reach when reading or relaxing, turning it off during social interactions, or putting it away before bed. Korte compares it to junk food: “No one carries a bag of crisps and chocolate around with them all day, because the temptation to eat would be too strong. It should be the same with smartphones.”

Brandhorst adds that people should regularly ask themselves whether they still have control over their usage. One good test is to take breaks from social media and observe how it feels. If switching off feels uncomfortable or even impossible, it may be time to rethink habits.