Australia’s biggest phone addicts revealed – and it’s not who you think, according to Swinburne University study

We worry about screen-addicted kids and laugh at Insta-obsessed mums but a new Aussie study has exposed a surprising group as the biggest phone junkies of all.

Parents constantly nag their kids to get off their phones – but guess who the real addicts are?

It’s not the teenagers. It’s not even the Instagram mums people love to mock.

New research from Swinburne University has delivered a brutal reality check: the worst phone addicts are blokes aged 18 to 40, who spend more than six hours a day glued to their screens.

That’s a full working day spent scrolling through social media, bingeing podcasts and watching videos.

“Sometimes parents are worrying about their kids’ phone usage when their own is more the issue,” lead researcher Saqib Nawaz said.

His team surveyed 523 Victorian adults about their phone habits and found those under 40 were twice as likely to report heavy – even dependent – levels of phone use compared to older adults. Non-parents used phones more than parents, males more than females, and students topped every other group.

So next time you’re telling your teenager to put their phone down at dinner, you might want to check your own screen time first.

The irony isn’t lost on Mr Nawaz, an IT expert and doctoral researcher who says many adults are in complete denial about their phone dependency.

“There are three types – those who are aware there’s a problem and are willing to do something about it, those who know and want to do something about it, and those who have a problem but won’t change,” he said.

“They say they can’t find anything else to do but be on their phones.”

The research reveals a generation gap that might surprise many Victorian families. While Gen Z gets all the flak for being phone-obsessed, the study shows young adult males are driving the heaviest usage patterns.

“This distinction may be influenced by differing lifestyle demands, responsibilities, and time availability,” Mr Nawaz said.

Researchers found childless men under 40 were Australia’s biggest phone addicts.

For these heavy users, the phone isn’t just entertainment – it’s become a compulsion. Mr Nawaz describes “a perceived need to remain continuously connected and engaged” that’s driving excessive use.

The consequences are serious: decreased productivity, increased stress, anxiety, and disrupted sleep patterns. The constant availability means people can’t disconnect from work and social networks, leading to burnout and mental health issues.

There’s even a clinical term for the fear of being without your phone: nomophobia. It’s characterised by discomfort, anxiety or distress when you can’t access your device – whether it’s a flat battery, no signal, or simply leaving it at home.

For families already juggling work, household costs and kids’ activities, smartphone dependency adds another layer of stress to daily life.

The question now is whether parents will recognise their own phone habits before demanding their children change theirs.

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Originally published as Australia’s biggest phone addicts revealed – and it’s not who you think, according to Swinburne University study