A study has found that people who often drift into thought without trying tend to use their phones more for social activities. The connection appears to involve a mental focus on staying aware of the digital world, which researchers describe as online vigilance. They also found that people with strong mindfulness skills showed weaker links between drifting thoughts and social phone use.
The research used real smartphone data from 188 U.S. college students who owned iPhones. Each participant filled out surveys to assess their attention habits, levels of mindfulness, and how focused they were on online activity. They also submitted screenshots of their phone’s weekly screen time.
Researchers broke mind wandering into two types. One occurred on its own without intent, and the other happened when a person chose to let their mind wander. The team focused on how these patterns matched up with actual time spent in different app categories.
Social Apps Dominated Time
Among all app categories, social platforms accounted for the highest share of screen time. These included apps where users post, view, or send messages, like TikTok or Instagram. Many students logged more than 17 hours a week on these types of apps, which was higher than time spent on entertainment, education, or other categories.
Spontaneous Thought Linked to Social Use
Students who scored higher on spontaneous mind wandering also reported stronger mental tracking of what was happening online. This internal focus was linked to more frequent use of social apps. In contrast, those who engaged in intentional daydreaming showed no clear increase in social screen time.
These findings suggest that when the mind drifts without warning, it may become more tuned to digital concerns. That mental state might lead to more time spent scrolling or checking social platforms.
Mindfulness Had a Weakening Effect
Mindfulness itself didn’t appear to lower the amount of time people used their phones. But it did seem to reduce the impact of online focus. Students who were more mindful seemed less likely to act on the urge to use social apps, even if their thoughts were often focused on the online world. This pattern was especially clear among those with the highest mindfulness scores.
Notifications Also Played a Role
The study also looked at the role of notifications. The number of alerts a person received was tied to both how often they picked up their phone and how much time they spent on social apps. There was some evidence that these notifications might trigger thought drift, which could then lead to stronger online focus. This link was present but less consistent than other findings.
Direction of Link Remains Unclear
Because the study tracked patterns but not causes, the team couldn’t say which came first. It’s possible that drifting thoughts lead to more social use, but the reverse could also be true. Heavy smartphone use might raise online awareness and prompt more unplanned thought activity.
The study didn’t look into what participants were thinking about when their minds wandered, so it’s unclear how often these thoughts were about the internet or social media.
Researchers noted that more detailed tracking in future work could help answer this. One approach could be sending brief surveys throughout the day to capture thoughts in real time. Another could involve controlled tests that simulate digital distractions to see how different people respond.
Notes: This post was edited/created using GenAI tools. Image: DIW-Aigen.
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