Friction beats willpower
The interventions that actually move this score are physical and boring: charging the phone outside the bedroom, greyscale, deleting the two worst apps from the phone while keeping them on desktop, and turning off every non-human notification. Each adds seconds of friction to an automatic behaviour, which is where automatic behaviours break.
- • Start with the sleep item — it has the largest knock-on effect on mood and attention.
- • Replace rather than remove: an automatic habit needs somewhere to go.
The failed-cut-down item is the diagnostic one
Heavy use with full control is a preference. Moderate use with repeatedly failed attempts to reduce is the actual definition of problematic use — and it is the item most people skip past when self-assessing.
FAQ
Is phone addiction a real diagnosis?
Not a formal one. Gaming disorder is recognised; problematic smartphone use is a well-studied research construct rather than a diagnosis. This tool is educational.
How many hours a day is too many?
Hours alone are a weak signal. Two hours of intentional use is different from two hours of automatic checking, which is why this scale measures control and displacement instead.
Do screen time limits work?
Built-in limits help mildly; people learn to dismiss them. Physical friction and app deletion outperform them consistently.
How this calculator is built
Independently maintained
Written by Sam Doshi and the RevenueLab editorial team. We don't sell the data feeds this tool is built on.
Sourced from primary data
Benchmarks come from public AdSense / Stripe / IRS disclosures and reader-submitted data — never third-party "$X per view" claims. Full methodology.
Last editorial review
Reviewed on a rolling quarterly cycle. Dated reviews are published on the methodology record for each calculator.
Editorial standards
See our editorial policy and disclaimer. Results are estimates, not advice.