Therapy built on personal goals cut phone fear more than time planning did.

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   46 university students aged 18 to 25 who were very afraid of being away from their phones, in Turkey. Each group had 23 students, and most were women.

2. 02

   What they did

   Each student had 10 one-to-one sessions of 45 minutes, twice a week for five weeks, with an occupational therapist. The goals group set their own goals and solved problems in daily life. The time-management group learned to plan time, regulate sleep and set limits on time-wasters like social media.

3. 03

   What happened

   Phone fear fell more in the goals group than in the time-management group. Both groups got better at managing time, and neither beat the other overall. The goals group also rated their daily tasks higher.

What the study found

1. HelpedOther outcomes

   Students who set their own goals and solved problems step by step cut phone fear more than the time-management group.

   • Action: Set a specific goaltested
   • Action: Solve problems step by steptested
   • Rule: Choose it yourselftested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Small randomised trial of 46 university students who fear being without their phone · vs the time-management group, who learned to plan time · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; summary claims more than the results show

2. No differenceTime management

   Both groups got better at managing time, and neither beat the other overall.

   • Action: Plan your weekused
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Small randomised trial of 46 university students who fear being without their phone · vs the goals group, who set their own goals · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; summary claims more than the results show

3. HelpedOther outcomes

   Students who set their own goals and solved problems rated daily tasks higher than the time group.

   • Action: Set a specific goaltested
   • Action: Solve problems step by steptested
   • Rule: Choose it yourselftested
   • Rule: With a coach or therapistused

   Small randomised trial of 46 university students who fear being without their phone · vs the time-management group, who learned to plan time · they rated themselves · ⚠ only counted people who finished; summary claims more than the results show

Source