Turn off the Internet and phone for 2 weeks, the brain 'rejuvenates' by 10 years

Using less internet-connected phones will make your brain healthier - Photo: AI

According to the New York Post (USA), a research team at the University of British Columbia (Canada) conducted a phone addiction test with 400 adults.

Participants were asked to download an app that blocked internet access on their smartphones and use it for two weeks. The average age of participants was 32, with 63% female and 37% male.

Before and after the trial, volunteers had their brain function and mental health measured using questionnaires.

The results showed that sustained attention, the ability to maintain attention on a single subject, improved significantly. After two weeks, their concentration levels were equivalent to those of people 10 years younger.

Not only that, 90% of participants reported a significant improvement in their mental health, even more effective than using antidepressants over the same period of time.

In addition, their sense of satisfaction with life and personal mental state were also enhanced.

According to researchers, this change is likely due to the way people use their time.

Instead of spending hours on the Internet, they tend to communicate more face-to-face, exercise more, and have more contact with nature.

The statistics also showed that during the study period, participants spent nearly half of their time looking at their phone screens. For one particular group, the average time spent on their phones per day dropped sharply from 5 hours and 14 minutes to 2 hours and 41 minutes.

In response to the above results, the research team at the University of British Columbia stated: "Although mobile Internet brings many benefits, reducing constant connection to the digital world can have a significant positive impact on mental health and concentration."

They also stressed that cutting off the Internet on your phone for two weeks can significantly improve your ability to maintain concentration and mental state.

The more you quit using your phone, the healthier your 'head' will be.

A study published in BMC Medicine in February 2025 conducted a randomized controlled trial with 111 healthy college students.

Results showed that reducing screen time to ≤2 hours per day for 3 weeks led to significant improvements in stress, depression, and sleep quality.

Another study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health conducted a two-week digital “detox” period, limiting social media use to 30 minutes per day.

The group saw improvements in smartphone addiction, sleep, life satisfaction, and stress reduction.

A study published in Scientific Reports in June 2023 found that the mere presence of a smartphone can impair basic attention performance, meaning that even when not in use, smartphones can still consume cognitive resources.

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HOANG THI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ngat-internet-dien-thoai-hai-tuan-nao-tre-lai-10-nam-20250410223951255.htm