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Americans spend an average of 5 hours and 16 minutes a day on their phones. (Gen Z spends 6 hours and 27 minutes and baby boomers spend 4 hours and 19 minutes.) But at the same time, more than half of Americans want to cut down on phone usage for better time management (67%); improve mental health (64%); increase focus and attention span (57%); get better sleep (57%); and improve physical health (64%).

Sounds like they think digital screen time is a real headache. And they'd be right. A meta-analysis of 10 studies with 11,218 participants published in the Journal of Neurology found that as digital screen time increases, so does the incidence of migraine or headache. And the more screen time you spend, the more severe the headache/migraine, the longer it lasts, and the more it interferes with sleep and causes visual symptoms.

I know, reducing screen time can be difficult. In the U.S., 45% of adults say they've tried to cut back on their smartphone use -- but 25% failed.

If you want to reduce your screen time, remove all but essential notifications, keep your phone out of easy reach during the day and out of the bedroom at night; keep track daily of your time on the phone; after 5 p.m. and on weekends, use your phone only for phone calls; and, as a last resort, switch to a "dumb" phone.

Want help building a real-human-interaction posse and getting free from digital overload? Grab a printed copy of my book, "YOU: An Owner's Manual, revised."

Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.4YOUngevity.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at drmikerealage@gmail.com.

(c)2026 Michael Roizen, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

(c) 2026 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.