Detrimental Effects of Excessive Screen Time on College Students
Technology is taking a strong grasp of college students' lives. Nearly every task of the day is digitalized whether it be lectures, assignments, entertainment, or even communication. Although the frontier of simplicity and ease, technology is not all charm. It has some negative implications but what exactly are they?
Average College Student Screen Time and its Effects
A study from Baylor University found that male students tend to spend an average of 8 hours a day on their phones while female students spend an average of 10. Adding the time spent on other devices such as laptops, tablets, and TVs, takes the overall time to nearly half a day. This is no surprise since technology is found in every corner of our homes and used for nearly everything. However, such a profound screen time can have some adverse effects.
- Physical strain to eyes and body
- Sleep deprivation
- Loss of cognitive ability
- Impaired social skills
- Lower self esteem
Tips to Monitor and Handle Screen Time
It is not plausible for college students to give up their devices since majority of work is done this way. However, there are ways to monitor the use and create some healthy habits.
- Turn off notifications
- Reduce screen time before going to bed
- Set timers
- Take breaks
- Go on walks
https://blog.valleywisehealth.org/negative-effect-of-screen-time-adults-children/
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/screen-time-brain
Hi, Zayd. I really enjoyed reading your post about the detrimental effects of extensive screen time for college students. I have used technology extensively since high school and completely understand the negative effects it can have on my mind and my body. After a long day of using my computer or iPad my eyes tend to feel strained, and my body feels exhausted. I am so glad you have brought to light some of the negative effects of technology that we don't consider on a daily basis. I appreciate you taking the time to list a few things myself along with others can do to eliminate some of these negative effects. After reading your suggestions, I am going to take your advice and try putting my phone up before bed and taking technology breaks more frequently. Thank you for the useful tips and information!
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah. I am really glad you enjoyed reading this and found it helpful. Putting your phone away before bed and taking frequent technology breaks sound like great ideas. I hope they work for you.
DeleteHi Zayd! I thought that your post was very informative about a topic that every student can relate to. Often, I do not realize how high my screen time is. Between using my laptop for classes and going on my phone, the hours add up quickly. Using technology has benefits, but it can also consume our lives. I have noticed that using technology has affected my sleep schedule as well as my ability to focus. For example, I am always on my phone before I go to bed. This makes it harder for me to fall asleep. I really liked your tips for monitoring screen time. Personally, I like to go on runs, because it gives my eyes a break and allows me to reset.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah. I agree that hours add up quickly between using my laptop and phone. I also fail to realize how high my screen time can be sometimes. Going on runs sounds like a great idea to give the eyes a break.
DeleteGreat blog! I appreciate the tips and agree with what you said on how it seems like small differences but can have great effects. I notice when I go on walks and don't check on my phone during the walk I feel much more relaxed after. On the other hand, when I have "downtime" and go on my phone, I don't feel refreshed after and like the negative affects you mentioned, my self-esteem and motivation levels are low.
ReplyDeleteTypically, when I think of screentime I only consider my phone, so your introduction really changed my point of view on screen time and made me realize when I have goals to limit my screen time, I need to consider other devices as well. This blog helped me understand the effects of screentime more, thank you for sharing!
-Angelina
Hi Angelina, I am glad I was able to change your viewpoint on screen time and that you were able to understand the effects of screen time more. I often make the same mistake and look to go on my phone when I have any downtime. Reading is something that I have found to be a good alternative.
DeleteHi Zayd, this is a nice blog post on the harms of excessive screen time. I think excessive screen time is becoming an increasingly serious problem, especially as technology becomes more and more ingrained in our society. I liked a book by the author Cal Newport called Digital Minimalism that discusses how to apply minimalism to our digital life. Thanks for writing and sharing this!
ReplyDeleteHi Rohit, I agree that excessive screen time is becoming an increasingly serious problem, especially with the constant integration of technology in our lives. Thank you for sharing the book.
DeleteHi Zayd! Your blog is really great, and I enjoy reading it. I understand that excessive screen time can cause a series of problems, and people should monitor the time they spend in front of screens. However, excessive is becoming a requirement for both college students and employees in corporations, and college students would eventually graduate and enter corporations. Work in many corporations would require excessive hours in front of a screen, and there won't be many occasions daily in the workplace where you can decide to reduce the screen time. How would you recommend controlling the excess screen time in the workplace?
ReplyDeleteHi Ruiqi, That is a very good question and I think it goes back to my point of making small changes throughout the day. This is not something that can be changed over night or reduced significantly. After all, our lives are pretty integrated with technology and we cannot just avoid our work. But, looking to change little things like less use of the phone during breaks or perhaps reading rather than watching a show sometimes will help in the long run.
DeleteHi Zayd, thank you for delivering a great blog! I think that many college students stop to consider the adverse effects of excessive technology used because our world revolves around technology. Personally, I use my laptop and iPad through most of the day because of my role as a student. After reading your blog, it made me realize that the only time I do not use any sort of technology is while sleeping or taking walks with my dog. Since a lot of my time consists being behind a screen to study I have had excessive migraines, poor sleep, and have even had to invest in blue light glasses to be able to study long periods of time. What do you do before bed to limit your screen time for a restful night?
ReplyDeleteHi Jorgely, I also invested in blue light glasses once and they did seem to help. I try not to go on my phone before bed. Once I set my alarm, I ignore my phone regardless of any notifications. I find reading to be a good substitute before bed.
DeleteHi Zayd, this was an interesting blog post to read! I have heard about the effects of blue light on sleep before and know that excessive screen time is bad, but it is fascinating to hear more about the details of why. Phones and electronics are definitely detrimental to students' mental and physical health when overused. Excessive screen time is an issue that may not be able to be fixed because of how much we rely on electronics for most tasks in school and work. Phones and computers have become a staple in daily life, and when you are forced to use them so much during work I think it can be more difficult to spend time off of them in your free time. Algorithms and notifications that are built to steal attention also make it difficult to put your phone down and keep it there. It was great reading your thoughts and research about screen time, thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Fiona, I am glad you were able to hear some more about the specific details of why excessive screen time is bad. I agree that it is very hard to spend time off of technology because of how much we use it in our lives. It is true that notifications are built to steal your attention, which is why I tend to use the "do not disturb' option quite often.
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