If your phone gives you the weekly update about how naughty you’ve been having spent 2.2 more hours on it than last week, it may need an attitude adjustment. A new study says that it’s not about the volume of screen time that impacts you — it’s how you use that time.

New research from Aalto University tracking 277 people over the course of seven months (and 13 million clicks and taps) finds that those who are constantly checking their phones in quick succession, think scroll, stop and scroll again, feel far more overwhelmed.

“Session sparseness,” or stop-start behavior, is akin to being interrupted every 30 seconds while trying to read a book. Your brain never gets into a cadence or rhythm and begins to feel overloaded.

Also of note, the content of what you’re observing isn’t relevant, it’s the continuous alternating that has a negative impact.

Desktops aren’t the main culprit though, it’s our phones.

The research indicates that the solution to our brains feeling less cluttered might be fewer check-ins, rather than less overall screen time.

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