When a first-year computer engineering major, Robert Jimenez, realized he was spending about twelve hours a day on his phone, he decided he needed to make a change.

“I was kind of abandoning all my habits or all my hobbies,” said Jimenez.

Jimenez is one of many CSUN students who have tried to reduce screen time amid concerns about social media’s effects on sleep, focus and stress. Like many students, he did not attempt to abandon his phone entirely. Instead, he used a screen-time management app to limit apps such as TikTok and Instagram, then eventually deleted them. 

“The hardest part was that initial change because it’s straight up an addiction,” Jimenez said. 

His experience reflects a broader challenge for college students: phones are central to academic and social life, but heavy use can interfere with the habits students are trying to build. CSUN students rely on their devices for Canvas, class group chats, jobs, commuting and staying in touch with family and friends. 

Dr. Abram D. Milton, a mental health response coordinator with University Counseling Services, said concerns about phone use, social media, sleep, stress and distraction come up “almost every day” in his work with students. 

“For me, when I think about digital detox, we’re saying, hey, how can I disconnect from this device so I can get back into the world?” Milton said.

Milton continued by saying students may need to reconsider their phone habits when scrolling starts to affect concentration, sleep, mood or relationships. He added that some students describe checking their phones as the last thing they do before bed and the first thing they do after waking up.

“If it’s causing an adverse effect in their sleep, how they engage with people, how their mood [is], then we kind of see that we try to help them out,” Milton said.

Elizabeth Hernandez, a junior child development major, said she began cutting back because she wanted to spend more time outside and develop hobbies. 

“I started picking up more hobbies, like cooking and cleaning,” Hernandez said.

Angelica Perez, a junior art major, said social media distracted her from activities she wanted to pursue. She used her phone’s screen-time limit feature to reduce her use. 

“It would distract me a lot from what I actually wanted to do, which is hobbies,” Perez said. 

Both students said they moved schoolwork to their laptops and avoided logging into social media there. 

“I would strictly only use it on my laptop instead, where on my laptop I’m not logged into any social media,” Perez said. 

Social pressure remained a challenge. Hernandez said responding to friends’ messages often pulled her back onto her phone. 

“With friends texting, it was mostly on Instagram, and Instagram Reels is just right there,” Perez said. “So it’s just like a force of habit.”

Students who reduced their screen time reported better sleep and more time for other activities.

“I slept a lot better because I wasn’t on my phone all night, and my grades improved,” Jimenez said. 

Perez said she noticed waking up feeling refreshed after going to sleep earlier. Hernandez said she also slept better and continued completing her schoolwork on time. 

Milton explained that students do not need to stop using their phones entirely. Because students need devices for school and personal responsibilities, he recommends an honest assessment of when and why they use them. 

“It’s going to be hard for people to go cold turkey,” Milton said. “Maybe using less over a series of times and to monitor and to fill that new time with other things.”

He encouraged students to replace scrolling with intentional activities, such as exercising, joining campus clubs, spending time with friends or listening to audiobooks. 

“We replace the habit around their phone with something else,” Milton said. “Find another hobby.”

All three students said a complete digital detox is unrealistic for college students. Jimenez said clubs, classes and communication often happen online. 

“I think a more limited approach is more sustainable,” Jimenez said. “At least being mindful of what you consume and how often you consume it and for how much.”

Hernandez agreed, saying students need Canvas and often communicate with classmates online, making it unrealistic to eliminate online activity entirely, though it can be minimized. 

Milton said students should practice self-compassion if they slip back into old habits. Changing phone habits, he said, is a gradual process. 

“The key thing, you don’t have to try to do it alone,” Milton said.