Improving wellbeing through healthier relationships with technology
Screen Sense supports people who enjoy games, social media and other digital apps but are finding it harder to stay focused, switch off or feel fully present in daily life.
Here you’ll find clear, accessible information about digital habits, practical tools to understand what’s happening beneath the surface and self-paced courses designed to support healthier, more balanced use over time.
Screen Sense uses insights from digital psychology (cyberpsychology) to support adults and young people (16+) in ways that respect autonomy and choice, free from shame, guilt or fear.
Cyberpsychology focuses on how human behaviour, thoughts and emotions are influenced by digital technology including interactions with the internet, social media, online gaming, virtual reality and AI. It explores online identity, cyberbullying, digital addiction and the psychological impact of immersive technology, bridging traditional psychology with the digital world. These insights inform practical strategies and tools to help people manage their digital habits and wellbeing.
Thanks for visiting Screen Sense! I’m Neal, a former professional gamer known as Mirage. I competed internationally, spending thousands of hours in digital environments where focus, performance and screen time were everything.
That experience gave me a front-row view of how powerful digital systems are and how difficult it can be to disengage from them once they become part of daily life.
If you’ve ever felt pulled too far into the screen, this is a place to understand why and what can be done next.
Neal Thompson
Digital Psychology Specialist
MSc Health Psychology
Former professional gamer (Mirage)
We all have our favourite ways to scroll, game or watch online content. Over time, these habits can quietly drain your energy, scatter your focus and affect your wellbeing.
76% of people believe they spend “too much” time on their phones. Of all the adults surveyed, 40% are spending five or more hours on their phone each day and 20% are spending seven or more. Average screen time is five hours. 74% of people who have tried to reduce their screen time struggle to do so.
BePresentThe amount of time kids’ spend online worried 75% of parents and is the number one worry. Yet, 50% (of parents) said they spent too much time on their own devices, and 66% admit to relying on screens as a bargaining chip to distract children.
nib SurveyWe find that 15% of 15 year olds report using the internet for more than 6 hours per day on a weekday outside of school. Once daily internet use (on weekdays outside of school) exceeds about two hours, we find no positive association of internet use and wellbeing.
Motu Economic and Public Research Policy
Problematic internet use can show up in various ways. Take our free, anonymous self-assessment quiz to see if reducing your screen time could be helpful.
Quiz
Stay up to date with the latest media coverage on digital wellbeing from around the world. We bring together important stories about screen time, online behaviour and healthier tech habits.
The latest research on Internet Addiction (IA) and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). This research highlights the importance of managing screen time.
View video interviews, documentaries, panels and talks that explore screen-time balance — from real-world stories to expert insights.
Watch
Each book offers a different lens on digital wellbeing: whether you’re curious about the brain’s reward system, the impact of social media, or self-regulation in the digital era.
Guest speaker bookings are available at your next event, podcast or webinar on a range of digital wellbeing related topics.
The aim of this study was to identify problematic gaming behavior among Finnish adolescents and young adults, and evaluate its connection to a variety of psychological, social, and physical health symptoms. This research emphasized that problematic gaming behavior had a strong negative correlation to a variety of subjective health outcomes.
Read More
Australians must prove they are over 18 before they can access adult content such as porn, R-rated video games and sexually explicit AI chatbots under new laws. The changes will protect children from harmful content, with platforms fined for breaches, Australia's online safety regulator said.
Read More
Peter Attia interviews Anna Lembke who is the Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic and author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. In this episode, Anna dives deep into the biochemistry and neurobiology of addiction, exploring the critical role of dopamine and the prefrontal cortex. She shares her framework for diagnosing and treating addiction, providing real-world examples involving alcohol, gambling, cannabis, social media, and more.
Read More
Although many youth may not be harmed by heavy SMU, distressed youth may be particularly vulnerable. The aim of this study was to experimentally examine the effects of reducing SMU on smartphones on symptoms of depression, anxiety, fear of missing out (FoMO), and sleep in youth with emotional distress. Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly greater reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and FoMO, and greater increases in sleep.
Read More
A day of retail therapy can be just the ticket for some people to help them feel better about themselves. But what happens when you can't stop shopping? Surrounded by racks of shirts, dresses and jumpers, Lucy tells me that she could spend up to 14 hours a day searching out new clothes as an escape from reality.
Read More
The field of internet addiction has experienced significant debates on conflicting epidemiology. This meta-analysis investigated the prevalence rates of generalized internet addiction (GIA) and internet gaming disorder (IGD).
Read MoreWe greatly appreciate your feedback on this website and would like to know what information you found useful and what services you would like to see next. Please take a couple of minutes to let us know.
survey
