What Americans see as smartphones’ biggest drawback

Smartphones are now a regular part of daily life for many Americans, helping them keep up with news, communicate, and handle everyday tasks. But a new Pew Research Center survey suggests many people also see a major downside.

The Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel survey was carried out over a one-week period and included 9,750 panelists.

Adults say smartphones interfere with sleep

Big picture view:

The survey found that 41% of U.S. adults said smartphone use hurts the amount of sleep they get, compared with just 5% who said it helps them sleep. Nearly half, 46%, said smartphones have no positive or negative effect on their sleep.

Age differences were especially noticeable when respondents were asked about sleep.

Among adults ages 18 to 29, 62% said smartphone use hurts how much sleep they get. That share dropped to 52% among adults ages 30 to 49, 36% among those 50 to 64, and 14% among adults 65 and older.

A similar pattern appeared in responses about productivity. Nearly half of adults under 30, 49%, said their smartphone reduces how productive they are. That compares with 43% of adults ages 30 to 49, 28% of those 50 to 64, and 15% of people 65 and older.

Opinions were more divided when Americans were asked about mood. Overall, 22% said smartphones hurt their mood, while 18% said they help. About half, 51%, said they neither help nor hurt mood.

Many say they spend more time on their phones than they want

Dig deeper:

The results come as many Americans acknowledge that they may be using their phones more than they would like.

Overall, 53% of U.S. adults said they spend too much time on their smartphones, while 36% said the amount of time they spend is about right. Only 3% said they spend too little time on their devices.

In the survey, 41% of U.S. adults said their phones hurt the amount of sleep they get. (Credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Younger adults were especially likely to say they overuse their phones. Seven in 10 adults ages 18 to 29 said they spend too much time on smartphones. That compares with 64% of adults ages 30 to 49, 49% of those ages 50 to 64, and 25% of adults 65 and older.

Smartphones still offer clear benefits

The other side:

Even with concerns about overuse, Americans also pointed to important benefits of smartphones.

About three-quarters of U.S. adults, 73%, said their smartphone helps them stay informed. Another 51% said it helps them feel connected to other people. By comparison, only 3% said their phone makes them less informed, while 12% said it hurts how connected they feel.

The Source: The information came from Wave 194 of the American Trends Panel, Pew Research Center’s nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults. The survey included 9,750 responses out of 11,184 sampled panelists, for a survey-level response rate of 87%. This story was reported from Los Angeles.