How To Defeat Your Social Media Addiction — Catherine Price (Modern Wisdom #921)
Science journalist Catherine Price tells host Chris Williamson that the average person's several hours of daily phone use are associated with interrupted attention and weaker long-term memory formation, disrupted sleep from late-night notifications and screen light, and lower-quality in-person connection when phones are present during conversation. She also raises an emerging concern about AI chatbot companions, arguing that emotionally responsive bots risk exploiting users' need for intimacy and validation in ways platforms have not yet had to answer for. Price's practical recommendation is not simply removing phone habits but replacing them with intentional, embodied activities, since cutting a coping mechanism without addressing the underlying need can produce withdrawal-like frustration. TechKids Foundation includes this as a substantive, general-audience presentation of Price's phone-habit framework, distinct from her earlier book on the same subject.
Price cites this range — around 75 days a year — as a widely used estimate of average daily smartphone use, framing it as context for the attention and sleep effects discussed in the conversation.
Williamson, Chris, host. "How To Defeat Your Social Media Addiction – Catherine Price." Modern Wisdom, episode 921, March 29, 2025.