Consumers seek the “just right” balance between digital and physical worlds
Many consumers are taking steps to set boundaries on their own (and their children’s) digital behaviors
Jana Arbanas
Paul H. Silverglate
Susanne Hupfer
Jeff Loucks
Prashant Raman
Michael Steinhart
Although digital devices are widely viewed as enhancing our lives, they can lead to tech overload and well-being concerns, as we discussed in “Digital life often delivers daily benefits but can also fuel tech fatigue and well-being worries.” More devices may not always be merrier: Our analysis revealed that, as households own more of them, tech fatigue and well-being concerns—such as feeling overwhelmed by the devices and subscriptions one needs to manage and feeling worried that device usage could harm physical and emotional well-being and social engagement with the physical world—also rise. This suggests that adding new devices (without eliminating others) comes with costs of greater management time, more screens vying for attention, and less time participating in the physical world. Respondents to our survey indicated that the total number of their households’ devices has dropped by four in the past two years, suggesting that they may be hitting a ceiling on the number of devices they feel comfortable handling.
In an effort to help restore some balance, 78% of consumers surveyed have put at least one measure in place to set boundaries on their digital activities, and 42% have put three or more measures in place (figure 3.1). The two most common techniques are physical actions: taking regular breaks away from screens (46%) and setting devices aside when engaged in activities with family and friends (44%). About three in 10 respondents said they’ve taken a break from an app or account, and the same number said they’ve limited notification alerts. Only 12% use digital techniques for setting limits on screen time or tracking the time they spend on applications. There may be an opportunity for tech providers to simplify these tasks—and perhaps suggest digital breaks even if someone hasn’t set up limits. In the future, perhaps AI can be employed to learn user preferences and assist people who want to take regular well-being breaks from their technology, even recommending physical exercises or meditation activities.
In addition to helping consumers with their screen time management, there may be an opportunity for device makers and app providers to simplify device administration, ease data security and privacy management, and improve interoperability. Consumers are likely to place greater value on devices and apps that make their lives easier in these ways and may gravitate toward them when it’s time to refresh their tech.1 Devices that function better together, such as smart home devices that interoperate, could lead to more devices in the home without adding to tech fatigue.
Teens may need help finding the right balance
Most parents believe that connected devices enhance their children’s lives: Seven in 10 parents feel their children’s device use enhances learning and enables new experiences, and half feel it helps their children build meaningful connections and stay organized. However, parents also worry about the potential negative effects of device usage—at a much higher level than the teens we surveyed. Fifty-three percent of parents report they struggle to limit their children’s screen time vs. 44% of teens who said they struggle to limit their own screen time. A majority of parents surveyed worry about a wide range of potential negative consequences of their children’s device usage: exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying, tracking, and adverse impacts on emotional and physical well-being (figure 3.2). Teen respondents are concerned about these issues too, but to a lesser extent than parents. Interestingly, almost half (47%) of the teens we surveyed are concerned about being tracked through their devices, as are 61% of parents.
Nine in 10 parents said they have put measures in place to monitor and set boundaries on their children’s digital behavior. The top techniques are checking online activities (44%), encouraging nondigital activities (44%), setting up screen time limits (40%), and blocking or filtering certain types of content (40%). Fewer than four in 10 parents restrict purchases, set parental controls for smartphones, and restrict web and smartphone app usage. This is an area where device and app providers could help parents achieve a healthier balance for their children by making settings easier to find and more intuitive to use.