Vienna, 27 May 2026

A study involving more than 45,000 young people across Austria, Switzerland, Germany and South Tyrol found that three weeks of smartphone abstinence significantly improved depression rates, sleep quality and overall well-being, according to results released on Wednesday.

The findings come from the ORF project 'Das große Dok-1-Handyexperiment,' in which more than 72,000 children and teenagers from Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and South Tyrol registered in the spring. Exactly 45,656 of them completed scientific surveys before and after a three-week smartphone break, and again five weeks later. The results were evaluated by psychologist Oliver Scheibenbogen from Vienna's Anton-Proksch-Institut.

The participants were split into groups: an experimental group of about 32,000 who either gave up their phones completely or used a lighter version of abstinence, and a control group of around 14,000 who continued using their devices. Two-thirds of those in the experimental group completed the full 21 days.

A Large-Scale Study

Markus Michelitsch, a school principal at the GRG23 in Vienna-Liesing who took part, admitted the challenge: 'Ja, man fällt in alte Muster zurück, und ja: Es ist verdammt schwer, auf das Smartphone zu verzichten.' Two months after the experiment, he said, he was back in old media habits.

The first day proved hardest: 16 percent of all participants who relapsed returned to their phones immediately, according to the data. Younger participants were more likely to complete the experiment than older ones.

Improvements in Depression and Well-being

At the start, 58 percent of participants reported mild to moderate depression symptoms, with 8 percent moderately severe and 3 percent severe. After three weeks, the share of those with no depression rose by about 15 percent, while severe cases dropped from 2.9 to 1.7 percent.

The general psychological well-being climbed by roughly 18 percent, with the strongest gains in the group that completely refrained from phones.

Better Sleep and Online Habits

Sleep onset and maintenance disorders decreased by more than 20 percent. Oliver Scheibenbogen noted: 'Es brauche keine Medikamente, um den Schlaf zu verbessern, es reiche einfach, auf das Handy zu verzichten und man merke Verbesserungen,' no medication is needed to improve sleep, just cutting out the phone.

Problematic internet usage behavior fell from nearly 71 percent before the experiment to 58 percent afterwards. Even the control group, which kept their phones and only filled out questionnaires, showed improvements, which Scheibenbogen attributed to the reflection triggered by participating in the surveys: 'Über alle Skalen, die wir verwendet haben, sieht man, dass es auch in der Kontrollgruppe eine Verbesserung gegeben hat. Allein durch das Reflektieren und durch die Beschäftigung mit dem eigenen Internet-Nutzungsverhalten hat es hier also Veränderungen zum Positiven gegeben.'

The Push for a Social Media Ban

Two-thirds of the surveyed students expressed support for a social media ban. Twenty percent backed a ban up to age 12, 17 percent up to age 13, and another 20 percent up to age 14. The Austrian government is currently working on a social media prohibition for those under 14.

Health Minister Korinna Schumann (SPÖ) is scheduled to hold a press conference on Wednesday with experts including Scheibenbogen to discuss the social media ban and its potential effects.

Fabian Scheck, a biology teacher who first launched such an experiment in 2025 at a school in Gänserndorf, Lower Austria, said that younger students coped better: 'Die Jungen haben sich leichter getan, die drei Wochen zu schaffen.' He also noted that older children are more deeply into smartphone dependency. 'Je weniger reguliert wird, je älter die Kinder und Jugendlichen sie sind, desto mehr sind sie bereits in der Sucht.'

Scheck stressed the need for a broad alliance: 'Einen Schulterschluss zwischen Schule, Eltern und am besten auch Hobbyvereinen,' he said, and that digital device use should be addressed in all educational institutions. He hopes the results will spark further public discussion.