Young people are suffering from 'technoference' and it's affecting productivity

One in five women and one in eight men also said their mobile phones are to blame for lack of sleep, figures that was compared to results from a similar survey in 2005.

Throughout this time, these figures had increased significantly by 17.2% for women and 8.6% for men, respectively.

And while most of us agree that technology has allowed us to be more productive, problematic phone usage can actually lead to the opposite.

Out of those surveyed, 12.6% of the men and 14% of the women said their productivity levels declined because of how much time they spent on their phones.

‘Self-reports relating to loss of sleep and productivity showed that these negative outcomes had significantly increased during the last 13 years,’ said Dr Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios, from the university’s Centre of Accident Research and Road Safety.

‘This finding suggests that mobile phones are potentially increasingly affecting aspects of daytime functioning due to lack of sleep and increasing dereliction of responsibilities.’

If you feel you might be struggling with ‘technoference’ yourself, there are ways to improve the issue.

Download an app to monitor your screen time, try to schedule in daily phone-free hours or leave your phone at home when going for errands or outings with friends.

Many of us still need to use our phones for work; it’s completely understandable but try to avoid checking emails if you’ve finished your working day.

Get active and do something that involves your body, not your mind instead – even if it’s a 15-minute walk in the local park.

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