Research on how phone and app use can affect attention, work, and time, with tools that help you reflect on your own use.
The summaries below are informational. Research findings can vary by context and method, and do not predict individual outcomes.
European Commission
The proposed EU KIDS Act would introduce age-based rules for children's social-media access. It includes a one-hour daily limit for parent-managed accounts from age 13 to under 15 and default limits on features such as infinite scroll, reward mechanics, and push notifications during sleeping hours. The proposal still requires review by the European Parliament and the Council.
Assemblée nationale · French National Assembly
Filed on 28 April 2026, the bill would prohibit platform designs that promote prolonged, excessive, or addictive use by minors. For users under 15, it proposes a default non-addictive mode that disables continuous scroll and autoplay, limits notifications, and introduces regular pause prompts. It remains a legislative proposal.
Memory & Cognition
Across three experiments, the first task step after an interruption took longer, while error rates did not increase in this particular task design.
Behavioral Sciences
Across 22 studies, the analysis found a small overall effect while highlighting substantial differences between cognitive domains and study regions.
Computers in Human Behavior Reports
In a brief lecture experiment, the group receiving game notifications scored lower than the control group; the no-notification gaming group did not.
Journal of the Association for Consumer Research
The study reported lower available cognitive capacity in some tasks when participants’ own phones were nearby.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance
In an experimental task, phone notifications disrupted performance even when participants did not interact with the device.
CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
In a workplace field study, periods without email were associated with fewer window switches and longer stretches spent on individual activities.
CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
A workplace study observed that people compensated for interruptions by working faster, alongside higher reported time pressure and effort.
This tool calculates time only. It does not predict personal outcomes or effects.
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