“I’m much happier like this”: Addicted to his phone, he cuts his screen time from 8 hours to 3 hours

Is using a phone disrupting employees' work? This is the concern of French business leaders, according to an IFOP study for the PRO BTP Health Observatory.

Faced with the excessive use of personal smartphones , more than 8 out of 10 bosses questioned are worried about the negative repercussions that this could have on the quality of employees' work (86%) or on their relationships within the company (83%).

78% of managers fear that excessive smartphone use will have a negative impact on employee and data security (during travel, on construction sites, accessing unsecured sites, etc.). And 70% of managers have already observed negative consequences on employee performance.

Zakarya, 25, lives in Romainville (Seine-Saint-Denis). This VTC driver says he feels much better since reducing his screen time. “One day, I received a warning from my phone itself, telling me that I was spending a lot of time in front of the screen. And it was a bit of a slap in the face,” the young man told Apolline Matin this Thursday. Zakarya spent between 7 and 8 hours a day on social media.

“So I was able to slow down the networks and I almost halved my consumption. Today, I spend about 3 hours on the phone and I'm much happier like that.”

As a driver, he himself notices different types of customers: those who are glued to their smartphones and those who want to talk. “It’s interesting, it allows you to get to know the person, it’s a pleasant time for exchanges.” For Zakarya, it’s important to take your eyes off the phone: “We spend our time watching other people’s lives on social media while we have our own to build.”