Study links smartphone use to rising uncertainty intolerance
Researchers at Boston University found that average scores for intolerance of uncertainty among college students have increased since the 1990s.
By Ricardo Brooks ·
Average scores for intolerance of uncertainty among college students have risen substantially since the 1990s, according to a review of 137 studies conducted by researchers at Boston University School of Public Health. The findings suggest that modern communication tools may be reducing opportunities for people to practice tolerating the unknown.
The term intolerance of uncertainty describes individuals whose reaction to not knowing outcomes is disproportionately intense. Jeroen van Baar, a psychiatric epidemiology researcher at Boston University, led the analysis of data collected over several decades. The team observed a clear upward trend in how strongly students react to ambiguity.
Van Baar suggested that smartphones contribute to this trend by providing immediate access to information. Features like navigation apps and instant messaging allow people to resolve minor questions or delays quickly. This constant connectivity removes routine moments where individuals must sit with unanswered questions.
"The fact that we have mobile phones in our pockets allows us to know almost everything in an instant," van Baar said. He noted that this convenience may have reduced the chance for people to learn they are comfortable when outcomes are pending.
Psychologists note that discomfort with uncertainty varies by person and context. Nick Carleton, a psychology professor at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, explained that the reaction exists on a continuum. He used the example of an unopened box, which feels exciting at a birthday party but stressful in a subway station.
Carleton argued that some caution is evolutionary. Those who welcomed all risk might not have survived, while those who avoided all risk might have starved. Michel Dugas, a psychology professor at the University of Québec in Outaouais, said that learning to deal with not knowing is a fundamental skill for quality of life.
For those whose anxiety interferes with daily life, experts recommend behavioral experiments. Dugas described a patient who was instructed to wait 48 hours before checking a posted test grade. The patient's distress diminished by the second day. Ryan Jane Jacoby, a clinical psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, advised patients to narrow problems to three or four options and make a decision without repeatedly reconsidering it.
When a problem cannot be solved, Jacoby recommends shifting from problem-solving to acceptance. Mindfulness or absorbing activities can redirect attention from repetitive thoughts. Pema Chodron, a prominent American Buddhist, wrote in her book Comfortable with Uncertainty that practitioners accept they can never know what will happen next. "This not-knowing is part of the adventure," she wrote.
Jacoby suggested adults remember how they reacted to surprises as children. "Kids embrace the curveballs," she said, noting that older adults tend to worry more about potential uncertainties. Dugas added that difficulty dealing with an uncertain universe makes it hard to maintain happiness and a good quality of life.
