It seems like every time you take a second to look around, you can’t help but notice how attached everyone is to their technology. From flat screen televisions all the way down to cell phones, it is hard not to realize how much screen time we expose ourselves to daily. This screen time has detrimental effects on us- mentally, physically, and socially.
To begin, intense exposure to screens has detrimental effects on our eyes. The phenomenon of Computer Vision Syndrome is a very real thing which happens as a result of our intense screen usage. It’s unsurprising to hear that the average American’s seven hour average of looking at a computer screen has a negative impact on our health as a whole. When we force our eyes to look at the screens for so many hours, it makes sense hearing this usage has an impact on our eyes.
Lots of screen time can also lead to other pain- especially in your back. It is so easy to strain your neck in order to try to see what’s on the screen in front of you. This shoulder and neck strain can also lead to increased stress. We tend to associate being hunched over something with intense focus. This association can cause increased stress and anxiety.
Reducing screen time can also help you feel less stressed just in general. Especially when you see notification after notification pop up, using technology can get to be a bit stressful at times. In fact, heavy cell phone usage is linked with increased stress, decreased quality of sleep, and an increase in depressive symptoms overall. It is scary to think that something that has integrated itself into our everyday lives causes so much stress.
Not only can it cause physical stress, but time online can cause social stress. For example, the pressure to feel as though you have to keep up with those around you can be quite stressful at times. Trying to keep up with everyone you have on social media and the lives they seem to be living can become an additional stressor despite its best intentions.
Overall, reducing screen time may be key for improving our quality of life as a whole. Not only is it better for our physical well-being but it also leaves time for other activities which have the potential to fill us up like spending time with the ones we love.