According to Pew Research, as of January 2024, 97 percent of Americans own a cellphone, and 9 out of 10 of these devices are smartphones. The time we spend on mobile devices, mostly smartphones, according to Statista, climbed to over 4.5 hours per day in 2022, with this upward trend expected to continue in 2024. This figure, by the way, does not include talking on the phone.

We scroll social media, create video content, share photos, and access the internet all with one easily transportable device. We also watch movies, TV shows, news, and videos, carry a vast curated music library in our pockets, gamble, play games, pay bills, and connect through social media with like-minded individuals. We can listen to podcasts, shop for groceries, send out party invitations, attend classes, engage in therapy, and even wind down with the help of a meditation app, all with a single device smaller than a paperback book. Is it any wonder that our habitual usage of smartphones is on the rise?

Habit formation, according to Psychology Today, happens when: “… behaviors become automatic … and can form without a person intending to acquire them.” Since our habits impact our physical and psychological well-being, we must take steps to understand the potential consequences of these automatic........

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