How Screen Addiction Affects Your Health
We all know that excessive or just “too much” screen time is a prevalent issue in our culture. As parents, it seems the same minute you bring a TV, video game or tablet into the house, you become a referee and enter the mind-boggling parenting world of “how much is too much screen time.”
However, parents and adults are not exempt from the same struggle facing our children these days. According to an article by ADDitude Mag, the average American checks their phone 205 times daily - about once every 5 minutes during waking hours. From work to entertainment, screens are everywhere - calling for your attention. So, how does all this screen time really affect your health, and how do you know if you are addicted?
Effects of Screen Time on Your Health
Increased screen time causes a decline in physical health, psychological health, and sleep patterns.
Constant exposure to devices like smartphones, personal computers, and television can severely affect mental health, increase stress and anxiety, and cause various sleep issues in both children as well as adults.
Obesity - Sedentary leisure activities such as watching TV, scrolling on a smartphone, or playing video games, can often lead to a risk for obesity and heart disease. A sedentary lifestyle impacts heart health and can lead to a higher risk of diabetes and increased blood pressure and cholesterol.
Sleep Problems - Exposure to blue light in the evening and at night from devices interferes with the brain’s sleep cycle and can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. Light and sounds from devices may cause you to wake throughout the night. To sleep more effectively, keep screens out of the bedroom and avoid using screens for at least one hour before going to bed.
Chronic Neck and Back Pain - While feeling a stiff neck after an evening of video playing or scrolling may seem like a fleeting side effect, poor posture can lead to chronic neck, shoulder and back pain. Make sure that your chair provides back support, and try to keep your devices at eye level. Take breaks from sitting to walk around, stand, or stretch. This is important at work as well as during entertainment or casual internet usage.
Depression and Anxiety - Excessive exposure to devices can severely affect mental health by increasing stress and anxiety. Internet addiction is becoming a general health problem around the world. Overuse of devices is being credited with multiple reasons for individuals being affected by depression, feeling isolated when addicted to mobile phones and becoming dependent on the views and opinions of people on the internet.
Tips to Reduce Screen Time
Limiting screen time to just a few hours a day may not be realistic for some, but these tips can help you and your family reduce and manage screen time for a healthier lifestyle.
CREATE TIME TO UNPLUG
Choose a time each day for your family to turn off devices and spend time together. This will give you quality time to interact and create moments for communication and connection.
USE PARENTAL CONTROLS
Devices have tools that allow you to filter unwanted sites and set time limits. For example, you can set daily screen time limits that lock your children out of apps after they reach a set time. Another way to ensure that notifications and text messages do not take over is to set your phone on Do Not Disturb at set times.
ENCOURAGE OTHER ACTIVITIES
Because children can easily become dependent and even addicted to using devices for entertainment, parents should take the initiative to help them find other ways to fill their time. Encourage activities that do not require a screen, such as playing outside, reading a book or playing a board game together as a family.
KEEP BEDROOMS SCREEN-FREE
Consider a rule to keep screens out of the bedroom as a healthy practice to help your family sleep better. Teenagers and children may be tempted to use their devices after going to bed and may also be disturbed by text messages and other notifications. Keeping bedrooms screen-free can protect against the harmful effects of screens on sleep health.
How Much Screen Time is Too Much?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that instead of setting a time limit, parents should consider the quality of content rather than simply the amount of time. They provide several resources for parents to understand that setting rules about quality of use instead of a rigid time limit will support their children in developing a healthy relationship with the use of technology and social media. You can access those resources here.
SELF-TEST TO SEE IF YOU SHOW SIGNS OF ADDICTION
ADDitudemag.com has created a self-test to help you see if you or your family members are struggling with screen addiction. You can find their article and the test here.
If you have questions about the negative effects of screen time for adults and children, make an appointment with the healthcare team at Aspire Family Medicine. During your annual physical, we can answer questions and help you understand how screen time may affect you or your family. For patients already suffering from some of the negative effects of screentime such as obesity, sleep problems or chronic pain, please talk to your doctor about recommended health or lifestyle changes to help restore your health and overall well-being.