People can spend up to 20% of their life on a phone—imagine that, out of all the years people live, 20% is spent looking at a screen. Phones have taken over our everyday lives; just think of how many times you’ve logged onto an app today.

In 2024, a study by Healio, a medical media company, found that students spend 1.5 hours on their phones during the school day. Most school days are 7–8 hours, which means a significant portion of time that could be used for learning, communicating face-to-face, or even just taking a mental break is instead being swallowed up by screens. That’s just during the school day if you add in the hours after school, before bed, or right when people wake up, the numbers climb even higher. Phones were originally invented as tools for connection, but they’ve evolved into devices that command more attention than almost anything else. Social media apps, games, messaging platforms, and endless scrolling features are designed to hook users in. That 20% of life spent on phones doesn’t feel like much when it’s just five minutes here or ten minutes there, but those minutes add up. By the end of a week, it could be dozens of hours. Over the course of years, it literally adds up to entire months of your life. What’s even scarier is that most people don’t even notice it happening. You pull out your phone because you’re bored, you check a notification, and suddenly, thirty minutes have passed.

But it’s not all negative—phones do have benefits. They let us communicate instantly, give us access to unlimited information, and provide safety in emergencies. Students can look up information for assignments within seconds, staff can stay connected with their teams, and families can reach each other no matter the distance. The problem comes when phone use shifts from being a helpful tool to a constant distraction. When students spend 1.5 hours on their phones during a 7-hour school day, that’s not just communication—it’s lost learning. And when people check their phones over and over instead of being present in conversations or activities, it becomes clear how much control the device has over their lives.

The health impacts are also worth mentioning. Studies link heavy phone use to higher stress, poorer sleep, and even increased anxiety and depression. Think about how many people scroll through social media late at night instead of sleeping, or how some compare themselves to the “perfect lives” shown online. Spending 20% of life on a phone doesn’t just take time away—it can also chip away at mental well-being.

Another thing to consider is how phones change the way people experience the world. Instead of living in the moment, many feel pressure to document everything—taking photos, recording videos, or posting updates online. Experiences that used to be personal and real are now filtered through a screen. For example, instead of enjoying a concert, people hold up their phones for the perfect video. Instead of focusing on a family dinner, someone is distracted by a notification. Over time, these little moments add up, and people start to realize they weren’t fully present in many of the most important parts of their lives.

So what’s the solution? Phones aren’t going away, but people can learn to use them more responsibly. Setting time limits, turning off unnecessary notifications, and being intentional about when to check apps are small steps that can make a big difference. Schools and workplaces are also experimenting with phone policies to encourage healthier habits, like putting phones away during lessons or meetings. Something as simple as leaving your phone in another room for an hour can help you refocus.

Ultimately, the statistics that people spend 20% of their lives on phones should serve as a wake-up call. Technology is powerful, but it shouldn’t control us. Imagine what could be done with that 20% more time spent with family, building skills, pursuing hobbies, or even just resting without distraction. Phones have become an unavoidable part of modern life, but people still have a choice in how much control they give them. If more people made the effort to cut back, even just a little, the benefits for attention, relationships, and health would be enormous.