Smartphone addiction, daily interruptions and self-reported productivity
Open accessAbstract
The advent of the smartphone has dramatically altered how we communicate, navigate, work and entertain ourselves. While the advantages of this new technology are clear, constant use may also bring negative consequences, such as a loss of productivity due to interruptions in work life. A link between smartphone overuse and loss of productivity has often been hypothesized, but empirical evidence on this question is scarce. The present study addressed this question by collecting self-report data from N = 262 participants, assessing private and work-related smartphone use, smartphone addiction and self-rated productivity. Our results indicate a moderate relationship between smartphone addiction and a self-reported decrease in productivity due to spending time on the smartphone during work, as well as with the number of work hours lost to smartphone use. Smartphone addiction was also related to a greater amount of leisure time spent on the smartphone and was strongly related to a negative impact of smartphone use on daily non-work related activities. These data support the idea that tendencies towards smartphone addiction and overt checking of the smartphone could result in less productivity both in the workplace and at home. Results are discussed in relation to productivity and technostress. • A link between smartphone use and loss of productivity is investigated for the first time. • A moderate relationship is seen between smartphone addiction and decreased work productivity. • Smartphone addiction scores are also perceived to negatively affect daily life. • Findings are discussed in relation to flow and technostress.
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Other studies investigating the impact on work performance found that work was neglected and productivity reduced, that users experienced work problems, and a perception of work overload.
“Other studies investigating the impact on work performance found that work was neglected and productivity reduced (e.g., Bian & Leung, 2015;Duke & Montag, 2017;Shin & Lee, 2015), that users experienced work problems (e.g., Park, 2019;Soror et al., 2012;Vaghefi et al., 2017) and a perception of work overload (Turel et al., 2008).”
From Antecedents and consequences of problematic smartphone use: A systematic literature review of an emerging research area (2021) · cites this paper as Duke & Montag, 2017
Duke and Montag support the productivity part of the clause: the Discussion reports that participants perceived smartphone use to harm work productivity, and the Conclusion describes a moderate association with self-reported negative effects. The paper does not establish that work was objectively neglected or that productivity was measured to have fallen; its findings rely on self-report. The later claims about work problems and overload are attributed to other citations, not this paper. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredContinuous digital distractions might reduce the cognitive capacity for careful deliberation, leading to more impulsive decisions.
“Continuous digital distractions might reduce the cognitive capacity for careful deliberation, leading to more impulsive decisions (Duke and Montag, 2017).”
From The impact of digital technology, social media, and artificial intelligence on cognitive functions: a review (2023) · cites this paper as Duke and Montag, 2017
The Introduction (page not provided) says smartphone interruptions can disrupt sustained concentration, and the Discussion suggests frequent phone checking may undermine flow at work. The paper does not say that these distractions reduce the capacity for careful deliberation or lead to more impulsive decisions; its discussion of impulsivity concerns phone use itself. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredDigital detox periods of abstinence from digital devices can restore cognitive functions and reduce stress levels.
“Digital Detox: periods of abstinence from digital devices can restore cognitive functions and reduce stress levels (Duke and Montag, 2017).”
From The impact of digital technology, social media, and artificial intelligence on cognitive functions: a review (2023) · cites this paper as Duke and Montag, 2017
The Discussion (page unavailable) links smartphone use to self-reported productivity problems and discusses technostress, but does not assess periods of abstinence. Searches for digital detox, device abstinence, cognitive restoration, and stress reduction found no passage supporting the claimed effects. (LLM, conf=0.74)
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- Authors
- Duke, É., & Montag, C.
- Affiliations
- Goldsmiths University of London (GB)
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Duke, Éilish
- Montag, Christian
- Venue
- Addictive Behaviors Reports
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-12
- Volume
- 6
- Pages
- 90-95
- ISSN
- 2352-8532 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5800562
- OpenAlex
- W2737692093
- Cited by
- 466
- References
- 9
- Citations by year
- 2026: 32 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 62 · 2023: 58 · 2022: 80 · 2021: 64 · 2020: 76 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 92.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Addictive Behaviors Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- German Research Foundation (2363/3-1)
- Social Science Research Council (J00124)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Personal Information Management and User Behavior
- Social Sciences › Demography › Cyberloafing and Workplace Behavior
- Keywords
- smartphone addiction, smartphone overuse, labor productivity, interruptions, technostress, flow
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