According to a recent analysis, New Yorkers spend quite a bit of time on their phones, averaging about 6 hours and 12 minutes daily. This results in an impressive—but perhaps concerning—81.14 miles of scrolling each year.
As mentioned in the report, these long scrolling sessions might not be something to celebrate. Experts caution that high screen time can be detrimental, suggesting that it could cost the global economy roughly $8.8 trillion annually.
It’s not just about the numbers; it’s about being glued to our devices. The allure of notifications and social media can lead to missing out on significant trends, causing a real struggle to focus on daily work tasks.
This issue seems to plague many—especially during the typical 9-to-5 grind. Interestingly, the report states that the average American scrolls about 86 miles each year, dedicating approximately 6 hours and 35 minutes to their screens daily. That’s an astounding 2,403 hours every year.
During the workday, people check their devices roughly 58 times, with more than half of those interruptions occurring while they’re on the job, which isn’t ideal. Surprisingly, many of these checks happen within just minutes of each other, creating an almost incessant cycle of distraction.
Analysts have pointed out that frequently switching tasks can undermine productivity by up to 40%. They developed a formula to estimate scrolling distances based on average screen time across different states, transforming those numbers into miles.
The results show that despite New York’s high scrolling numbers, it’s not even in the top 10 for the furthest scrolling distances. Arizona tops the list with an astounding daily average of 8 hours and 50 minutes—resulting in around 115.37 miles of scrolling each year.
Following Arizona is Washington, where residents average 108.18 miles of scrolling per year. Kentucky comes in third with approximately 105.18 miles of scrolling over the year.
This trend raises an important point. As our phones increasingly blend work and leisure, the economic implications of our screen habits are becoming impossible to overlook.
Here’s a quick overview of the top 10 states with the longest scrolling times:
| 1. Arizona | 8h 50m | 115.37 |
| 2. Washington | 8h 17m | 108.18 |
| 3. Kentucky | 8h 3m | 105.18 |
| 4. Missouri | 7h 49m | 102.17 |
| 5. New Mexico | 7h 20m | 95.90 |
| 6. Texas | 7h 19m | 95.77 |
| 7. Maryland | 7h 14m | 94.59 |
| 8. Louisiana | 7h 9m | 93.42 |
| 9. South Carolina | 7h 6m | 92.76 |
| 10. Georgia | 6h 68m | 91.7 |
