Andrew Huberman's Surprising Take on Why Smartphone Breaks May Not Always Be a Positive

Among the most commonly mentioned productivity “hacks” is the concept of smartphone breaks. Whether the approach is intended to help you complete school or work tasks, or simply to ensure your focus is on what needs to be done, it’s a commonly referenced tip. Other specialists or experts have mentioned smartphone breaks as a social benefit, as it allows you to remain present and avoid checking your phone.

Regardless of the reason, there are two sides to every opinion, and even popular neuroscientist Andrew Huberman can be caught off guard when the opposing viewpoint offers a different perspective. The host of the Huberman Lab podcast explained how his own mindset was slightly altered following a lecture when a student gave their own insight.

Andrew Huberman’s Adjusted Mindset on the Phone Break Trend

During a recent episode of the Huberman Lab podcast, the neuroscientist and tenured professor told a story about a talk he gave at Santa Clara University. Huberman explains that he made a comment about how much easier it is to focus if you put your phone away. Following the session, a student helped him realize that there’s a significant difference regarding the impact of smartphones across different generations.

"I gave a talk down at Santa Clara University one evening to some students. I made a comment about putting the phone away and how much easier it is to focus when you put the phone away and how much better life is when you take space from your smartphone. Afterwards, this young guy came up to me, probably in his early 20s, and he said, ‘Listen, you don’t get it at all,’” Huberman explains.

"I said, ‘What do you mean?’ And he said, ‘You adopted this technology into your life after your brain had developed.’ He said, ‘When my phone runs out of charge, I feel the life drain out of my body, and it is unbearable or nearly unbearable until that phone pops back on. And then I feel life return to my body, and it’s because I can communicate with my friends again, I don’t feel alone, I don’t feel cut off from the rest of the world.”

Huberman admits that the statements from this specific student resonated with him, particularly due to one realization he made during the interaction.

"I thought to myself, ‘Wow.’” Huberman continues. “His statements really stuck with me, because I realized that his brain, as he was pointing out, is indeed fundamentally different than mine in terms of social context, communication, feelings of safety and on and on.”

When I first realized how different the “impact of smartphones” (good and bad) is for different generations. Here I am relaying what a 20-something (not me) experiences when their phone is not available. You? What is it like for you? pic.twitter.com/h4aYdzAasr

— Andrew D. Huberman, Ph.D. (@hubermanlab) September 30, 2025

It’s truly an interesting point for several reasons. If you’re around the age where you can remember your parents getting a cell phone or their first smartphone, their approach to it and use for it began at a time when they were older and their brains were fully developed. Smartphones were introduced into the lives of many generations at a time when they had a much more significant impact, as Huberman explained in the clip above.

Obviously, this doesn’t mean that doom scrolling on social media is instantly understandable when you’re trying to focus on work. However, instead of putting your phone away in a drawer, propping it somewhere on your desk a few feet away could make more sense. Realistically, it’s a matter of what works best for each individual, especially if storing your phone away leaves you feeling as though you’re missing something.

Related: Andrew Huberman Breaks Down Creatine’s Impact on Mood and Motivation