CHARLOTTE — Most of us don’t go anywhere without them.
A study from reviews.org found Americans spend, on average, over five hours a day actively on their phones – and that we check them more than 200 times a day.
But how do you know if your connection to your phone is a problem? Our partners at WFXT spoke with an expert who said before using the word ‘addiction’, ask yourself two questions.
“Do I feel like I’m suffering in relation to this or am I not doing something functional that I think I should be doing, that I prefer to do,” Dr. Michael Tsappis said.
In other words, WFXT says, is the phone causing you pain? Or is it preventing you from functioning?
Dr. Tsappis is a psychiatrist with Boston Children’s Hospital. He said, “Suffering could be like impaired relationships, arguing with parents, sleep impairment and fatigue.”
He added, “Functioning would be like – I’m up until 2, then when I when I wake up at 6 a.m. to get ready to go to school, I can’t wake up well enough. And so I just stay home. So missing classes, not completing as much work or achieving as well academically.”
Dr. Tsappis told WFXT that turning away from your phone is less about the device itself and more about embracing your life and surroundings.
“Just thinking about how to get them on the course of contentment and wellness. Concerns about media use die off as they’re able to feel competent, connected, they’re able to kind of be autonomous and have a direction for themselves,” Dr. Tsappis said.
Another piece of advice from experts – remove the badge notification from your apps.
That way, you won’t be tempted to open apps you weren’t already planning to check.
WATCH BELOW: Consumer Reports: Better sleep for a better day
©2025 Cox Media Group
