Nearly half of US adults, 45%, say they tried to cut back on their smartphone use in the past year, but only about a quarter of those who tried describe themselves as highly successful, according to a Pew Research Center survey of 9,750 US adults conducted in late May and early June 2026.
Most Americans say they are on their phones too much
Just over half of US adults say they spend too much time on their smartphone, according to the Pew survey.
About a third of adults say their smartphone use is about right, while just 3% say they spend too little time using these devices.
The sense of overuse is sharply split by age. Seven-in-ten adults under 30 say they spend too much time on it, as do about two-thirds of those ages 30 to 49.
Roughly half of those ages 50 to 64 and a quarter of those 65 and older say the same.
Trying does not mean succeeding
Awareness of the problem has translated into action for many, but not into lasting change. Pew’s research shows that 45% of U.S. adults say they’ve tried to cut back on their smartphone use over the past 12 months.
Among this group, a quarter say they were extremely or very successful at cutting back on the time they spend on their smartphone. Another 52% say they were somewhat successful.
The attempt rate climbs sharply among younger adults, mirroring the same age pattern seen in overall concern about screen time.
Among all US adults, 45% say they tried to cut back, compared with 39% of those 50 to 64 and 23% of adults 65 and older, while roughly six in ten adults under 50 say they have tried.
That means people most likely to feel their phone use is excessive are also the ones most likely to attempt a change, even if the odds of calling the attempt a clear success remain low across every age group, since success at limiting smartphone use varies little by age among those who have tried to cut back.
The gap between intention and outcome echoes findings GCN has reported on how adults under thirty are deliberately slowing their digital lives, where researchers found that choosing stillness over constant stimulation restores focus that always-on connectivity crowds out.
The new Pew data suggests that for most people trying alone, the habit proves far stickier than the decision to quit it.
Phones split opinion on mood and connection
The same survey finds Americans crediting their phones with some clear benefits even as they struggle to put them down. Roughly three-in-four adults say their smartphone helps them stay informed, and about half say it helps them feel connected to others.
Americans are also about equally likely to say smartphones help and hurt their mood. But the largest share of adults, about half, say phones neither help nor hurt this.
That split helps explain why so many people report trying to cut back without treating the phone itself as simply bad.
The device that helps someone stay informed on the news or in touch with family is the same one many feel compelled to put down for their own sake, a tension that shows up consistently across the age spectrum in Pew’s data.
A familiar struggle with few decisive wins
About a quarter of all US adults describe themselves as using their phone almost constantly, and 42% of adults 18 to 29 report almost-constant use, compared with 33% of those 30 to 49, 21% of those 50 to 64 and 9% of adults 65 and older.
Separate Pew survey data has tracked related generational gaps in how people use connected technology, pointing to a broader pattern in which younger users report both heavier use and greater motivation to change it.
For now, the data paints a picture of a country largely aware of its own phone habits and willing to attempt change, but one where follow-through remains rare.
With only about a quarter of would-be quitters calling their effort a clear success, most Americans who try to use their phones less are likely to find themselves reaching for the device again within months, if not days.
