Twenty-one respondents mentioned that smartphone use had an impact on their relationships. Most of these (n=21) were positive, describing how smartphones helped them communicate more easily with friends and family, particularly those who do not live locally or in the same country.

A smaller number of respondents (n=7) mentioned negative effects of smartphone use on their relationships, such as distancing themselves from family due to being on the phone talking to friends, feeling more irritable towards family or affecting how they interact socially in general:

I think it slowly takes away your social behaviour so it becomes harder to hang out and talk to people. (R38)

My phone sometimes makes me anxious, and usually isolate myself from my family and friends. (R31)

Fifteen respondents described smartphones as distracting, and 11 reported an impact of using a smartphone on schoolwork. Most statements were negative with, a reduction in productivity and time that should have been dedicated to schoolwork:

I feel like so many apps I use on my phone occupy precious time that I could be using to work on school and doing other things that really interest me I think it takes up useful time that I could be using to read, learn, study etc. (R53)

If I wasn’t on my phone I would have more energy to do homework, revise and more important things. (R68)

Four respondents described a positive impact on studying due to the availability of educational resources online, and one respondent mentioned how smartphones can have both positive and negative impacts on studying.

For the 12 respondents, the effect of smartphone used on school performance varied depending on a number of factors, such as how much time is spent using a smartphone (and whether the user is able to control the time spent) and whether the user has other urgent priorities such as examinations:

Can make you anxious, and can lead to a certain laziness. But if you knew how to control yourself and have your priorities straight, it won’t happen. (R6)

If you have no school or exams, I don’t see the problem in using smartphones for hours on end. (R10)

Forty-one respondents commented on the effect of smartphone use in their mood. Positive effects were identified by 23 respondents and included the ability to entertain and reduce stress and boredom:

Makes me less bored, lets me interact with people It makes me more entertained as I always have something to do. (R40)

It makes me happy when I speak to my friends and it’s my escape from the world—especially music. (R2)

Other respondents mentioned how using their smartphone helps them cope with difficult emotions:

I love my phone, [it] help[s] me distract myself when I am sad or self harm. (R29)

I don’t like being away from my phone, its presence is comforting. (R34)

One respondent seemed neutral about the effects of smartphone use in their mood:

I do my own thing on my phone, it doesn’t affect my mood that much. (R36)

Negative effects were highlighted by 33 respondents and included comparing oneself to others, being involved in cyberbullying, and seeing content that is ‘scary’. Adverse effects described on mood could be extreme including suicidal thinking:

If I am getting cyberbullied or seeing something sad it makes me sad. (R2)

Sometimes it makes me very depressed because I see people who are better than me and I sometimes start to cry and feel very suicidal. (R18)

Sometimes I see things on Instagram that scare me and then I can’t stop thinking about them and I am scared that something like that will happen even though it will never happen. (R32)

Smartphones increased stress for some respondents, particularly when used for too long:

Makes you feel more stressed, feel worried and over exaggerating things. (R3)

Smartphones make me feel tired and anxious, I feel that I have been feeling tired very quickly. (R32)

It tires me out when I am on it for a certain amount of time, draining my motivation. Negatively affects my will to work. (R5)

I wish I spent less time on my phone as being on a smartphone for way too long and seeing the wrong content can decrease mental health. (R3)

The topic of self-control was mentioned, with some respondents describing that if a user knows how to manage the time spent on smartphone use, they can avoid some of the negative effects:

Can make you anxious, and can lead to a certain laziness. But if you knew how to control yourself and have your priorities straight, it won’t happen. (R6)

Ambivalence was apparent in some responses, with respondents describing unwanted effects of smartphone use but appearing to minimise or contradict those effects:

I don’t like being away from my phone, its presence is comforting. But it doesn’t affect my mood. (R34)

It gives me a temper sometimes I think it has an impact but not a massive one. (R69)

Sometimes it makes me very depressed because I see people who are better than me and I sometimes start to cry and feel very suicidal. The more I use, I feel more mentally stable, and without it, I may consider suicide. [It has] Many uses, avoids depression, helps me cool off. (R18)

Mostly negative effects were described by 33 respondents. In addition to a generally negative impact on mood and productivity as already described, some respondents feel smartphone use, in particular social media, can lead to time wasted with no significant benefits:

I want to spend less time on my smartphone because it is a massive waste of time and doesn’t benefit me in any way. I deleted TikTok a few months ago, and my quality of life improved almost instantly. (R55)

I do want to spend less time because one can become so glued to the screen that they lose sense of what is actually important in your life and what truly matters. (R6)

It could make you feel insecure because of looking at others on Instagram. (R62)

Time spent using a smartphone was mentioned by 28 respondents. Half of those (n=14) explicitly said they wish they spent less time on their phones:

I want to spend less time as I can do other more productive things such as studying and being with my [family]. (R18)

I feel like so many apps I use on my phone occupy precious time that I could be using to work on school and doing other things that really interest me. (R53)

It is a HUGE waste of time, and benefits me in no way. (R55)

Others felt they were on their smartphones too much but were ambivalent towards the idea of reducing their use:

To an extent I’m on it too much. I know it’s bad for my health but I go on it too much, I don’t think I need help to stop—if it was the most important thing for me right now when I could stop. (R45)

My smartphone does lead me to getting sidetracked and controlling phone usage is a huge challenge for me. However, there are many educational applications which are beneficial for school. (R7)

I can’t decide [if I’d like to spend less time on my smartphone], because I use my phone for work purposes and it does help, but there is temptation. (R69)

Twelve respondents commented on how they find it difficult to control how much time they spend on their smartphones:

I don’t know how much is too much. (R18)

I keep scrolling even though I know I have other things to do. (R35)

Only one respondent mentioned using strategies such as apps to set time limits on their smartphone use in the free text boxes:

I have a time limit app that I use to only spend 1.5 hours per day on the app of use. (R42)

Some believe that reducing one’s smartphone use needs to be an initiative from the user themselves rather than something imposed by others:

Nobody can stop you excessively using your smartphone except for yourself, as the will has to come from you. (R6)

(…) I feel it is something I should control on my own. (R5)

However, others felt that they would need external support to reduce their smartphone use:

Need help with more time limits and putting it away some days. (R33)

I need some help to restrain me from my phone. (R69)

While others justified their phone use by mentioning positive effects:

I don’t think I spend too much time because it can be a creative outlet. (R47)

I like to read on my phone, so don’t think I want to use it any less. (R61)