Are Phones Making Us Dumber?

Because let’s be honest—no matter where you are in the world, screen time is becoming a serious issue. Here in Europe, there are more and more attempts to introduce limits, regulations, and safeguards to protect us from its downsides. But does that really convince people that there’s an actual risk sitting right there in their hands as you read these words? Not so sure…

Since this is a topic we’re passionate about, we dug deep and explored the web to find answers—but also concrete ways to take action. Because explaining things is good, but taking action is even better.

But before we begin, let me introduce myself. The voice you’re reading is Laureline. I’m the designer and co-founder of the Jomo app. I’ve been working in ergonomics and interface design for the past 10 years. In 2022, we launched Jomo to finally bring a long-standing idea to life: a powerful app to help you stop mindless scrolling and take back control of your life. I wrote this article myself, with my own two hands and my own brain. So if you enjoyed it or found it helpful, feel free to share it and let us know what you think!

What Does It Mean To Say “It Makes You Stupid”?

You see it everywhere (including on TikTok, which is often at the center of these discussions): using your phone too much supposedly makes you stupid, turns you into a real “zombie.” But if you look a little deeper, what does that actually mean?

When we talk about “making us dumber,” we’re not talking about IQ. We’re talking about a decline in certain cognitive abilities: reduced focus, weaker memory, less capacity for deep thinking, shorter attention spans… that kind of thing. For many people, that’s what “dumber” really is.

In reality, humans aren’t biologically regressing. It’s more that we’re losing our ability to think—especially to think deeply. We become more superficial and increasingly dependent on external tools. Even the smallest effort starts to feel costly.

So who—or what—is really to blame?

Is Your Phone Really What’s Making You “Stupid”?

In a way, your phone is the perfect scapegoat: it’s always with you, you use it for everything, and many services are heavily optimized to capture more and more of your attention. So it’s easy to blame it. But is it really the one responsible?

Yes and no. It does carry a significant share of responsibility:

It’s always within reach, delivering content and dopamine with zero friction.

It centralizes everything, so you have no real reason not to use it. You put in less and less effort to get things done: “There’s definitely an app for that.”

Notifications, infinite scroll, variable rewards—these are real addictive mechanisms. You think you’ll spend five minutes, and it turns into two hours, flooding your brain with an endless stream of information.

It’s designed to eliminate boredom, and with it, all the moments your brain needs to recover (thinking, imagining, stepping back, etc.).

All of these factors combined, each in their own way, contribute to weakening your cognitive abilities over time. But there’s an important nuance: it’s not really the phone that’s responsible—it’s how you use it. Blaming the tool is a bit reductive. It’s mostly a way to avoid taking responsibility.

Yes, it plays a role—but you do too.

So Why Does No One Seem To React?

Because it’s incredibly hard to raise awareness about risks when everyone mostly sees the positives. It’s like swimming against the current. You’re up against a self-reinforcing system: “Everyone uses it, so everything must be fine. If no one is reacting, there must not be a problem.”

And that’s the core issue.

People are blinded by the immediate benefits: instant entertainment, constant connection, effortless access to everything you want (sometimes even before you realize you want it). But that’s not all. People are also largely unaware of the real costs, because they’re invisible and slow. The first “side effects” aren’t immediate, and it takes effort to connect cause and effect. Think about reduced concentration, mental fatigue, or constant distraction (which can sometimes lead to a kind of brain fog).

And on the other side, you have a society that encourages you to look away, because the economic stakes are massive. Companies whose business models depend on capturing attention have become extremely wealthy—and today, they neither want nor can afford to slow down.

The problem is very real. It just doesn’t feel urgent—or even serious.

Art by Mariana Pedroza

So Aren’t We Living in a Two-Speed World?

Yes—and that’s the real problem. In the coming years, you can clearly see a growing divide.

On one side, there are those with excessive, passive consumption. Their days are driven by screens: constant scrolling, constant interruptions (notifications and more), and highly fragmented attention with serious negative effects on both their personal and professional lives. They end up with truly problematic screen time—sometimes more than half of their waking hours (8 hours a day on average!).

On the other side, there are those who choose to protect their attention because they understand it’s one of their most valuable resources. They’ve realized they need to block apps when they take over too much of their lives, and that it’s essential to spend (and actually enjoy) time without screens—especially without their phone. They’ve developed what’s called “intentional consumption”: the ability to decide when, why, and for how long they use their phone.

And this has nothing to do with intelligence or social or economic status. It’s a decision—one you make now, and stick with over time.

So if Taking Action Is Crucial, How Do You Do It?

Your time on Earth isn’t infinite. It’s limited. You know when it starts, but never when it ends. You shouldn’t take anything for granted (that doesn’t mean living every day like it’s your last). You just need to be aware of it so you can protect it.

Realize that every minute you give to a tech giant is time you’re taking away from yourself—from doing what you truly enjoy. That time ends up meaning nothing. It’s just spent consuming content you won’t even remember.

And if you look at it over a lifetime, just 2 hours of scrolling a day adds up to 730 hours a year—that’s 30 full days. One entire month lost.