California Softball Team Reports 1-Year Mental Health Gains After 1-Month Smartphone Detox
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Aug 11
California Softball Team Reports 1-Year Mental Health Gains After 1-Month Smartphone Detox
1 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Aug 11
Summary
More than a year after a 1-month switch from smartphones to flip phones, Del Oro High School softball players and parents say the detox still shapes how the teens use technology.
100% of the team joined the challenge, which was designed to pull athletes away from social media and constant phone use and refocus attention on mental health.
Brain scans of player Addy Christensen during the month showed early changes the family described as withdrawal, followed by improvements in decision-making, impulse control and retention.
Jennifer Christensen said parents have since noticed better self-regulation around anxious phone-checking, along with stronger eye contact, posture, confidence and more fluid speech.
The experience has turned Jennifer and Addy Christensen into advocates who now speak at events, urging families to try more intentional technology use despite a difficult transition.