Understand digital wellbeing through cyberpsychology
Screen Sense explores how gaming, social media and digital technology influence attention, habits, wellbeing and everyday life.
Discover clear, accessible information about digital behaviour, practical tools for understanding digital habits and self-paced courses that explore the psychology behind the way we use technology.
Drawing on cyberpsychology, health psychology and behavioural science, Screen Sense translates research into meaningful insights that help adults and young people (16+) understand the relationship between people and technology.
Thanks for visiting Screen Sense! I’m Neal, a former professional gamer known as Mirage. I competed internationally, spending thousands of hours in digital environments where focus, performance and screen time were everything.
That experience gave me a front-row view of how powerful digital systems are and how difficult it can be to disengage from them once they become part of daily life.
If you’ve ever felt pulled too far into the screen or wondered why this happens, this is a place to understand the psychology behind it and what can be done next.
Neal Thompson
Digital Psychology Specialist
MSc Health Psychology
Former professional gamer (Mirage)
Founder of Screen Sense
MSc Health Psychology, University of Auckland
Digital Psychology Specialist
Certified Health and Wellness Coach
25 years in digital product leadership
Former professional gamer (Mirage)
Cyberpsychology focuses on how human behaviour, thoughts and emotions are influenced by digital technology including interactions with the internet, social media, online gaming, virtual reality and AI. It explores online identity, cyberbullying, digital addiction and the psychological impact of immersive technology, bridging traditional psychology with the digital world. These insights inform practical strategies and tools to help people manage their digital habits and wellbeing.
We all have our favourite ways to scroll, game or watch online content. Over time, these habits can quietly drain your energy, scatter your focus and affect your wellbeing.
76% of people believe they spend “too much” time on their phones. Of all the adults surveyed, 40% are spending five or more hours on their phone each day and 20% are spending seven or more. Average screen time is five hours. 74% of people who have tried to reduce their screen time struggle to do so.
BePresentThe amount of time kids’ spend online worried 75% of parents and is the number one worry. Yet, 50% (of parents) said they spent too much time on their own devices, and 66% admit to relying on screens as a bargaining chip to distract children.
nib SurveyWe find that 15% of 15 year olds report using the internet for more than 6 hours per day on a weekday outside of school. Once daily internet use (on weekdays outside of school) exceeds about two hours, we find no positive association of internet use and wellbeing.
Motu Economic and Public Research Policy
Problematic internet use can show up in various ways. Take our free, anonymous self-assessment quiz to see if reducing your screen time could be helpful.
Quiz >
Stay up to date with the latest media coverage on digital wellbeing from around the world. We bring together important stories about screen time, online behaviour and healthier tech habits.
The latest research on Internet Addiction (IA) and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). This research highlights the importance of managing screen time.
View video interviews, documentaries, panels and talks that explore screen-time balance — from real-world stories to expert insights.
Watch >
Each book offers a different lens on digital wellbeing: whether you’re curious about the brain’s reward system, the impact of social media, or self-regulation in the digital era.
Guest speaker bookings are available at your next event, podcast or webinar on a range of digital wellbeing related topics.
Austria has announced plans to ban social media for children aged under 14, becoming the latest country to consider introducing restrictions for children online. Andreas Babler says that it is the responsibility of politicians to protect children and argued that the issue should be treated no different to alcohol or tobacco: "There must be clear rules in the digital world too."
Read More
The UK will go further to protect kids with world-leading additional restrictions on harmful features online such as live streaming and strangers communicating with children. Social media platforms will be blocked from offering services to under-16s, marking a line in the sand and setting a new normal for future generations.
Read More
In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this “great rewiring of childhood” has interfered with children’s social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison and perfectionism.
Read More
There's a new addiction in New Zealand - more than a third of Kiwis say they are hooked on their screens and many are blaming Covid for it. As the country enters its second week of lockdown, New Zealanders have been averaging five hours of screen time a day on top of using devices for work and school since the Covid pandemic started last year, a new NortonLifeLock study has found.
Read More
Although many youth may not be harmed by heavy SMU, distressed youth may be particularly vulnerable. The aim of this study was to experimentally examine the effects of reducing SMU on smartphones on symptoms of depression, anxiety, fear of missing out (FoMO), and sleep in youth with emotional distress. Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed significantly greater reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and FoMO, and greater increases in sleep.
Read MoreWe greatly appreciate your feedback on this website and would like to know what information you found useful and what services you would like to see next. Please take a couple of minutes to let us know.
survey >
