Screen time and mental health

Age-related mental health outcomes: Children and adolescents
Mental health outcomes with aging: Adults
Screen time and mental health in the age of COVID-19
References
References

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Screen time refers to the time spent looking at screens on devices such as televisions, smartphones, computers, and gaming consoles. Numerous studies, including longitudinal studies, have been conducted on screen time and mental health. In particular, much of the focus has been on how children and adolescents are affected. Results have been conflicting, with many studies finding that screen use has negative mental health effects, including depression, anxiety, and brain fog. More positive outcomes include increased creativity, happiness, and increased psychosocial impacts of social media use in adults.

Between 10 and 20 percent of young people worldwide suffer from mental health problems, and late adolescence is a problematic age for these issues to set in. This is the age when young people transition from childhood to adulthood, and the transition to university can be a difficult time for many young people.

In recent years, the use of electronic devices among young people has skyrocketed. At the same time, adolescent mental health has declined significantly. Excessive screen time has emerged as a behavior that may impact mental health. Recent studies have found that many adolescents regularly ignore the widely recommended screen time guidelines that limit screen time to two hours per day.

Research has shown that increased screen time is associated with negative self-concept and an increased risk of obesity. Not surprisingly, increased screen time is correlated with less physical activity, which in turn leads to less time outdoors and interacting with nature – essentially, screen time has replaced “green time.”

Screen use among adolescents is associated with poorer and more negative mental health outcomes through:

• Cyberbullying – Harassment via SMS text messages or online (chat forums, social media, online games, etc.)
• Compulsive Internet use – when users are unable to control the amount of time they spend online

Any discussion of the negative aspects of technology needs to be balanced with a discussion of the positives: after all, screen use is often used for educational purposes, and research shows that in an increasingly connected world, spending leisure time in front of a screen can boost well-being.

The association between increased screen activity and physical activity has also been investigated in adults. In this context, screen time has been taken as an indicator of sedentary time. As well as obesity, increased sedentary time has been associated with type 2 diabetes. The impact on mental health has been much harder to ascertain.

It is important to triangulate the link between physical health, mental health and screen time: research shows that reducing screen time and increasing physical activity can be highly beneficial, especially for men. Of course, in our increasingly high-tech world, this is not always possible.

Many people rely on technology for their jobs. Imagine working in IT without a computer. However, there are positive aspects in terms of work-life balance. The active use of technology to earn a living allows many people to work remotely or from home. According to data from the UK Office for National Statistics in 2019, 53% of employees in the information and communications industry are able to work from home, while only 10% of employees working in the accommodation and food services industry are able to do so.

When a global pandemic was declared in March 2020, the UK government locked down the nation to significantly limit the spread of the virus. The stay-at-home orders imposed on citizens at the time only allowed them to leave their homes for essential purposes such as shopping, healthcare, and limited exercise (30 minutes per day).

The impact of this mandatory self-isolation guidance has been investigated due to the increased incidence of screen time and its impact on mental health and wellbeing. Excessive and excessive use of digital devices has been found to have detrimental effects. However, a balanced approach has many benefits. For many people during the lockdown, using digital technology was the only way to maintain social and emotional connections.

In conclusion, the positive and negative aspects of screen time are an ongoing debate, and excessive screen time use may have a negative impact on mental disorders.

• Apurvakamur, P. et al (2021) Social connections, excessive screen time and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A review of the current evidence. Frontiers of Human Dynamicsdoi: 10.3389/fhumd.2021.684137
• Babic, MJ et al., (2017) Longitudinal associations between changes in adolescent screen time and mental health outcomes. Mental health and physical activityDoi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2017.04.001.
• Davies CA (2012) Associations of physical activity, screen time and health-related quality of life in adults. Preventive Medicine.Doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.05.003.
• Jurewicz, I. et al. (2015) Young adult and adolescent mental health – supporting general practitioners to provide comprehensive care. Clinical Medicinedoi:10.7861/clinmedicine.15-2-151.
• Kahn, A. et al. (2021) Dose-dependent and joint associations between screen time, physical activity, and mental health in adolescents: an international observational study. Lancetdoi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(21)00200-5.
• UK Office for National Statistics (2020) “Technology penetration and working from home in the UK” Online: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/technologyintensityandhomeworkingintheuk/2020-05-01.
• Oswald, TK et al. (2020) The psychological effects of 'screen time' and 'green time' on children and adolescents: a systematic scoping review. PLOS Onedoi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237725
• Smith, L., (2020) The association between screen time and mental health during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study. Psychiatric Researchdoi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113333.
• Wu, X. et al. (2016) The impact of screen time on the development of mental health problems in young people: a one-year follow-up study. BMJ Opendoi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011533.