Why New Jersey residents are embracing the digital declutter to fight phone addiction

I saw some encouraging news recently that New Jersey’s opioid crisis is finally easing — fewer overdose deaths is one of the best headlines we’ve had in a long time. But there’s another kind of addiction sweeping through our lives — a less heartbreaking one, sure, but one that’s nonetheless affecting how we live, think, work and connect: digital addiction, especially to our phones and social platforms.

New Jersey’s growing problem with phone addiction and screen time

I’ve said this on The Judi & EJ Show before: I probably reach for my iPhone as many times — if not more — than my dad reached for his Salem cigarettes back in the day.     Whether it’s over breakfast, while watching TV, when we’re doing the show… and yes, even while driving. That restless reach for the screen seems to happen more and more.

And I’m far from alone. In the U.S., average screen time on connected devices clocks in at roughly 6–7 hours a day, with Americans checking their phones over 100 times per day. Yet when I look at my own screen reporting from Apple, I cringe: an average daily phone use of more than 14 hours. Embarrassing? Definitely. Especially when the national average for daily phone use (not total screens) often lands closer to about 5–6 hours.

Social media overload, Sunday screen reports and modern guilt

I limit my social media to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, out of sheer practicality. Yes, I have X, Threads and a TikTok account gathering digital dust — and honestly, even three platforms are probably three too many. And don’t get me started on how much I dread that Sunday morning notification showing weekly screen time — it’s like getting graded on bad habits.

Digital detox programs gain traction across the Garden State

What’s interesting is that people across the Garden State are responding to the overload. A wellness practice in Brick, NJ recently launched a 30-day digital detox program to help locals manage phone and social media use more mindfully, with the goal of reducing stress, sleep disruption and that constant feeling of “technostress.”

How to start your digital declutter

Here are practical steps people are using — and that I’m committing to myself — to tame the digital beast:

1. Schedule phone-free hours:
   Designate specific times during the day to be screen-free — like mornings, meals, and bedtime. It’s already a trend nationally as people seek calmer routines.

2. Turn off non-essential notifications:
   Those little badges and pings are dopamine traps. Turning them off helps stop the reflexive reach.

3. Tech-free zones:
   Make bedrooms and dinner tables sacred. Phones down = eyes up.

4. Social sabbaticals:
   Take intentional breaks from social media — even a week or two of logging off can reduce anxiety and help you reconnect with real life.

5. Replace, don’t just remove:
   Swap screen sessions for reading, walks, hobbies, conversations — activities that nourish your mind rather than just fill the time.

This isn’t about being anti-tech — it’s about being intentional. If we don’t manage our screens, they manage us. And if there’s one trend worth embracing in 2026, it’s learning to look up more often than we look down.

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