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No Screen, No Life?

08:00 Min

Some Gen Z teenagers are concerned about the effects of excessive screen time on their mental well-being. Would a digital detox be the solution? Three teens answered CNA Insider’s call to take part in a 10-day experiment — they locked up their smartphones and used a dumb phone for everything, from messaging to entertainment. What are some surprising benefits they experienced, and why would at least one of them do it all over again to combat screen addiction?

No Screen, No Life?

No Screen, No Life? - What Gen Z teens really think of dumb phones after trying them for 10 days

17 Mar 2025 01:56am

Some Gen Z teenagers are concerned about the effects of excessive screen time on their mental well-being. Would a digital detox be the solution? Three teens answered CNA Insider’s call to take part in a 10-day experiment — they locked up their smartphones and used a dumb phone for everything, from messaging to entertainment. What are some surprising benefits they experienced, and why would at least one of them do it all over again to combat screen addiction?

No Screen, No Life?

About the show:

Singapore will be blocking teenagers’ access to apps not meant for their age group. This may in turn curb their screen use. But just how bad is their screen usage?  

For the first time, we conduct a national survey to find out just how bad teenagers’ screen use is and what their attitudes and expectations are regarding their screen time.   

Apart from the survey, we get five regular teenagers to swop their smartphones for brick phones for 10 days. And we follow their time away from their screens, chronicling the frustration, their well-being and their time management. 

We also want to find out if excessive screen usage may be altering the brains of a whole generation of young people and we conduct cognitive tests before and after the detox, to find out if removing their smartphones will make them happier, healthier and better able to learn. 

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