Screen time: how much is too much, and easy ways to cut back

Have you looked at your phone's screen time report lately? This weekend, it was a hot topic online, as people shared their numbers along with the small tricks they're using to cut back, from greyscale screens to leaving the phone in another room.

If your daily total surprised you, you're in good company. An iSelect survey this year found Australians spend about 13 hours a week scrolling on their phones, and more than a quarter said they couldn't go longer than half an hour without checking. Health and Wellbeing Queensland research found 1 in 4 Queenslanders are on screens past midnight nearly every night.

Here is what screen time can do to how you feel, simple ways to use your phone more on your terms, and how the Thrive Health Band helps without adding another screen to your day.

How much screen time is too much?

For adults, there isn't one magic number. Phones are part of work, family life, banking, maps and staying in touch, and plenty of that time is useful. Health and Wellbeing Queensland suggests the goal isn't giving up your phone, but using it more intentionally.

A more helpful question is how your screen time leaves you feeling. A few signs it might be worth a rethink:

You pick up your phone without deciding to, then lose track of time.
Scrolling eats into sleep, meals, movement or time with people.
You feel more wound up, flat or distracted after a session, not less.
You sit for long stretches without moving.

Australia's 24-hour movement guidelines for adults suggest limiting time spent sitting and breaking up long periods of sitting as often as you can. They don't set a screen time limit for adults, but long scroll sessions on the couch count as sitting too.

How screen time can affect how you feel

Health and Wellbeing Queensland explains that phones are designed to keep you engaged. Each refresh or notification can give a small hit of reward, which is why it's easy to keep going. It also notes that endless scrolling through emotionally charged content can ramp up your stress response, and that too much screen time can affect focus, stress levels, sleep quality and even relationships.

Sleep is the big one for evenings. Bright screens late at night and content that keeps your mind busy can make it harder to wind down. If late-night scrolling is your thing, our article on revenge bedtime procrastination looks at why we do it and what helps.

Easy ways to cut back

You don't need a digital detox. Small changes tend to stick better:

Turn off non-essential notifications. Fewer buzzes means fewer reasons to pick up your phone.
Make phone-free zones. The dinner table and the bedroom are good places to start. Charge your phone outside the bedroom.
Use the tools you already have. Screen Time on iPhone and Digital Wellbeing on Android can set daily limits and show weekly reports.
Pause before you scroll. When you reach for your phone, take a breath and ask what you're actually looking for.
Batch your checking. Pick two or three times a day for social media rather than dipping in all day.
Tidy your home screen. Move social apps off the front page so they take a moment longer to open.
Swap in something else. A short walk, a chat, a few pages of a book, or some stretching. Our article on movement breaks has ideas for getting up more during the day.

How Thrive helps without another screen

The Thrive Health Band has no screen at all, so there's nothing on your wrist to light up with messages and nothing to check while you're out walking, eating or talking with someone. It just gathers your data, and you look at it in the Thrive by Optihealth app when you choose. If you're weighing up screen-free options, see our screenless fitness tracker page.

Inside the app, Thrive helps you see how your screen habits sit with the rest of your health:

Check-ins. Log mood, stress and energy each day. Add your own factor, such as "under 2 hours on my phone" or "phone out of the bedroom", and use tags like Mental overload, In flow or Long sitting.
Sedentary reminder. Set a reminder in the app, with your own time range and an interval from 30 minutes to 2 hours, to nudge you up from long sitting.
Steps and activity. See whether your low-scroll days are also your more active ones.
Patterns. The Mind & Mood category brings mood, stress, energy, sleep and HRV together over time.
Experiments. Try a two-week experiment, such as no phone in the bedroom, and compare how your sleep, energy and mood respond.
Breathing and sound sessions. When you'd usually scroll, try a short guided breathing or sound session instead. Some include binaural patterns, which may help with falling asleep.
Ask Thrive. Try "Is my mood better on days I log less phone time?" or "How did I sleep after nights with no phone in the bedroom?"

Thrive also learns what is usual for you across nine areas of your health, from what the Band measures and what you log, and keeps track right across your health, including heart, temperature, stress and mood, meals and Food Fit, blood tests, medications and supplements and your medical history.

If you'd like someone in your corner, Thrive Loops lets you share selected information with a participating trainer, health professional or someone you trust. You decide what to share and with whom, and you can change or revoke access at any time.

When to talk to your GP

Cutting back on screens is a lifestyle change, and small steps are enough. But if low mood, worry or trouble sleeping has hung around for more than a couple of weeks, or you're finding it hard to step away from your phone even when it's affecting work, sleep or relationships, talk with your GP. Thrive isn't a diagnosis, but Ask Thrive can help you get ready by lining up a few weeks of your mood, sleep and activity, and you can share a Clinician Summary. Here is how to use Ask Thrive before a GP appointment.

Before you buy

You'll need a compatible iPhone or Android phone, because the Thrive app is on the Apple App Store and Google Play, in Australia and eight other countries. The app stores are only for downloading the app, though; they aren't where you buy the Band or a Plan. You can buy at thrivehealthband.com, or at a participating World Gym Australia location or health and wellness clinic.

The Thrive Health Band is A$660 for the first year under the launch offer. That includes the Band, which is yours to keep, and 12 months of the Thrive by Optihealth app, My Health on the web, Health Fingerprint, Ask Thrive, Thrive Loops and your data, paid once upfront. Prices are in AUD and include GST. Free Australia-wide shipping during the launch offer (usually A$14.99).

Nothing renews automatically. After your first year, you can get a new band plus 12 more months for A$660, or keep your band and renew the Thrive Connected Plan for A$240 a year, or A$29 a month with no lock-in.

You're also covered by a 12-month Thrive Care Warranty, and consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law always apply. See Returns if something is wrong with your purchase.

Common questions

How much screen time is too much for adults?

There's no single number for adults. A better guide is how it leaves you feeling, and whether it eats into sleep, movement, meals or time with people.

How can I reduce my screen time?

Turn off non-essential notifications, keep phones out of the bedroom and off the dinner table, and use your phone's built-in limits. Small swaps work better than a strict detox.

Does the Thrive Health Band have a screen?

No. The Band is screen-free, so there's nothing to check on your wrist. You see your health in the Thrive app when you choose.

For more answers, see Questions.