Scrolling Steals How Many Decades? Here’s How to Break Social Media Addiction

Published: June 26, 2025

phone, screen — Photo by Sayo Garcia on Unsplash

By Mallory Mattingly

Everyone knows that screens consume a lot of teens’ time, but did you know it could eat away decades of their life?

A recent study by Fluid Focus, which surveyed nearly 3,000 students in the U.K. and Ireland, found that students scroll an average of 5.5 hours per day, meaning they’re on track to spend 25 years glued to their phones.

“Nearly three-quarters of students said their phone habits were harming their ability to study, and more than 75% reported negative effects on their mental health,” Baltimore news outlet WMAR reported of the study.

According to the survey, 98% of respondents said social media was the most used screen-time category.

Numbers are similar in the U.S.

According to a 2023 survey conducted by the Statista Research Department, “teenagers spent an average of 4.8 hours every day on social media platforms. Girls spent 5.3 hours on social networks daily, compared to 4.4 hours for boys.”

The most popular platforms include TikTok and YouTube for those 13 to 19 with “1.9 and 1.5 hours of average daily engagement, respectively. The most used platform for girls was TikTok, while the most used platform for boys was YouTube.”

These numbers should jolt teens out of their screen-time stupor, but how do you know when you need a break from social media?

The Harvard Division of Continuing Education suggests asking yourself these questions:

Do you come away from your interactions on social media feeling inspired, informed, and positive? Or are you drained, saddened, frustrated, overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, angry, or negative?
Do you find yourself on a social media app, yet don’t remember picking up your phone and tapping on the app?
Is the amount of time you’re spending on social media taking away from time you used to spend with friends or family, doing schoolwork, or doing other productive activities?
Are you constantly comparing your life to the lives you see on social media, and think that you could never “catch up”?
Have any friends or family members expressed concern that you’re on social media too much, or that you talk about what you see there too much?
Do you have more activities and relationships in real life, or do you conduct most of your life on social media?
Do you just have a feeling you need to take a break, but aren’t sure how?

So, how do you disengage from social media?

The first step is to make a plan for what you want to accomplish while away from devices. Step two is to recognize your triggers that bring you to social media in the first place. Step three includes limiting apps or deleting them entirely. Step four requires a partner to help keep you accountable during this time away from social media. Lastly, choose a length of time you plan to be away from social media, then reevaluate and return if you want.

Stepping away from social media won’t be easy, especially if you’ve formed an addiction to the platforms. But the Bible encourages us to make the most of the life God’s given to us.

Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

Instead of spending 25 years of your life scrolling, seek God and find a way to serve others. Your life will be much better for it.

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