Screen Time: Finding a Healthy Balance
Screen Time in Our Everyday Life
The average American spends 7 hours and 4 minutes on screens per day, whether that be on the computer, smartphone, television, or game console. The Gen-Z population clocks in at over 9 hours per day. With today's dependence on technology to complete our work and school duties, these numbers are not a complete shock. We also rely on our devices for interaction, community building, and entertainment. While the benefits of technology are easily listed, it is essential to know how screen time can negatively affect your quality of life and learn methods for maintaining a healthy balance.
Sleep
A study outlined in the Harvard Medical Journal says that the blue-light from digital devices reduces the secretion of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin regulates our internal 24-hour clock system, and a lack of melatonin can disrupt the amount of time spent in REM sleep. A decrease in REM sleep can cause issues in the consolidation and processing of the day's events into memory.
Mental Health
Research has shown that time spent online leads to an increase in feelings of social isolation, loneliness, and FOMO (fear of missing out). Although social media leads to increased communication, Cigna Healthcare has found that only 53% of Americans feel they have meaningful social interactions daily. For teens, online usage has been linked to the rise in anxiety and depression, often caused by cyberbullying and compulsive internet use. Additionally, 70% of participants of a research study state that they feel panicked, depressed, or helpless when they are without access to their phone.
Physical Health
Sedentary lifestyles are characteristic of increased screen time. Obesity, type II diabetes, cancer, and heart disease are all effects of physical inactivity. One study by the American Refractive Surgery Council found that 60% of Americans suffer from digital eye strain. In recent years, children are beginning to spend more time online as compared to time spent playing outdoors. With the negative effects associated with less exercise, this does not forbode well for the younger generation who may develop sedentary habits.
- Track screen time and set limits
- Try to replace screen time with physical activity, even if it is a simple stretch
- Avoid blue-light before bedtime
- Consider silencing or turning notifications off during work or important social-building moments
- Move or hide time-sinking apps
- Go grayscale: changing the colors of your phone/computer may make it less attractive to look at
- Create tech-free spaces, such as no devices in the bedroom or bathroom
- Pick up a new hobby and pursue offline activities
How about You?
Do you feel like screen time negatively affects your daily life? Are there any ways you limit or manage your technology usage?
Resources
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/screen-time-brain
https://counseling.online.wfu.edu/blog/exploring-link-technology-mental-health/
https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/preemptive-safety/impacts-of-technology-on-health
https://etactics.com/blog/negative-effects-of-technology-on-mental-health#:~:text=Social%20comparison%2C%20feelings%20of%20missing,screen%20time%20is%20before%20bed.
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Screen-Time-and-Mental-Health.aspx#:~:text=The%20outcomes%20are%20conflicting%2C%20with,using%20social%20media%20in%20adults.
https://www.calendar.com/blog/10-strategies-for-reducing-your-screen-time/
Hi Courtney, thank you for sharing your insightful blog post on finding a healthy balance between screen time and mental health. I appreciate your practical tips and suggestions, especially the importance of setting boundaries and being mindful of the impact of screen time on our well-being. It's a timely reminder for all of us to be intentional about our technology use and prioritize our mental health.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Enoch! I am glad you found the tips to be helpful, and hopefully they help you find a healthy balance. As I was preparing this post, the information I learned through my sources definitely reminded me that despite all the obligations in our lives, it is so important to prioritize mental health and set those boundaries.
DeleteHey Courtney! I think your article was very well written and included a number of different facts. Not only did you propose a question to make the audience think, but you related that back to your topic. I also liked how you included graphs and statistics to further prove your point. You also did not leave the reader with these negative impacts, but offered quick and easy solutions to help them improve this aspect of their lifestyle which is very helpful.
ReplyDeleteHi Mansi! Thank you for your feedback. I also found the graph from the study by the University College London to be very useful in visualizing the correlation between depression and social media usage in teenagers. I am happy to hear you found the tips to be applicable. They may take some time to get used to, but in the end, implementing a few new practices will prove beneficial to your health.
DeleteHi Courtney! I found your article informative, yet interesting. I think the blog was well written and organized. The visuals were well placed and engaging. I liked the tips you provided at the end because they were easy to find and beneficial. As to answer your question I limit my screen time by turning my phone off while I study or do work.
ReplyDeleteHi Julianna! Glad to know you enjoyed the post. Your strategy for managing your screen time sounds helpful. I might try that out myself, as my phone is a huge distraction when I am trying to be productive.
DeleteHi Courtney! I thought your blog was interesting and helpful. I think being on my phone to much does cause my lack of sleep. This also causes me to be less active sometimes. I like your suggestion on using grayscale. I will use this tip to help me fix my screen time. I will also avoid using my phone before going to bed. This is a habit I need to break.
ReplyDeleteHi Jake! I agree with you; my phone contributes to me getting less sleep per night than what is recommended. I am also making it a goal to reduce my screen-time before bed. I am happy to hear some of the tips will be applicable for you!
DeleteHi Courtney! I think you did a good job of delivering specific information to the readers. The graph chart gives more trust and professional looking. I think the list of how to balance screen time is really helpful too! However, I found you might need more explanation about some terms, such as Gen-Z population and REM sleep. I hope I can decrease the time I usually spend on my phone and have a good quality of sleep! Thank you for posting this!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment, Seongmin! I agree with your suggestion. In the future, I will be sure to define terms that may be unclear to the audience. For the readers in the comment section, I will outline their meaning here. REM sleep is a stage in the sleep cycle that plays a role in dreaming, memory, emotional processing, and healthy brain development. Gen-Z defines the population born in 1997-2012. Further information can be found here:
DeleteSleep foundation: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep/rem-sleep#:~:text=Why%20Is%20REM%20Sleep%20Important,processing%2C%20and%20healthy%20brain%20development.
Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/
Hi Courtney, I enjoyed the educational aspects of your blog! The graph was a great way to allow for visual insight into your topic. This makes me think more about my screen time, it does become difficult to minimize though when school is heavily reliant on technology.
ReplyDeleteHi Courtney! Your blog post was formatted super well and it was incredibly informative! Your blog feels really well researched and the statistics that you provide are shocking! Your article made me wonder how much we are a slave to the screens around us! I think you laid out really well why we should be more careful about the amount of time we spend on screens and perfectly transitioned into what one could do about it! Incredible job!
ReplyDelete