Ethan Xu (10) | STAFF REPORTER
Written October 2023
With front-row seats to the development of modern technology, we find ourselves more accustomed to the routine act of turning on a screen. However, this begs the question: is the time we spend in front of a screen really as beneficial as we make it out to be?
Before COVID, the average person spent around 4 hours daily in front of a screen. Now, that number has jumped to nearly double, with the average time spent being around 7 hours. It’s clear that we’re reliant on screens for a multitude of things. Whether it be a student checking Google Classroom for the latest assignment or an office worker building a slideshow, screens have undoubtedly made their mark in our lives. Especially with the rise in popularity of working remotely, more and more time is spent on a screen daily. One part of this excessive screen time is our phones.
While we can use our phones to be productive, it’s noted that the average person will spend at least 3 to 4 hours on them. While it may not sound bad, the average person only spent a total amount of 3–4 hours on screens pre-covid. What’s worse? Social media is what makes up 2 and a half hours of this time spent on our phones. The grasp that technological giants have on us is clear, but what about other devices? Another popular device is the computer, which is commonly thought to be used mostly for work, whether it be school or the office. However, we still spend around 5 hours a day on our computers alone, and not all of that time is spent being productive either.
While it can be argued that many use their computers for productivity, it’s clear that that’s not the case. Despite the 5 hours spent, only 29% of people will actually use that time to work. Another 60% will spend that time shopping online or watching television. It’s important to note, however, that the internet, an undoubtedly useful tool, is accessed from these screens. However, in the top three activities performed online, we find that social media nests itself right under email and online banking.
Thus, it’s clear that our daily screen time is not primarily for beneficial or informative use but rather for our own pleasure and for short-term dopamine releases. Therefore, it’s crucial to examine the negative consequences that excessive screen time brings about.
It can be observed that excessive screen time can actually lead to many negative consequences. One major one, which is especially important for students, is the effects of screen time on our sleep schedules. On the surface, it seems that texting late at night will only make you get less sleep and less shut-eye. By itself, this is already very detrimental. The light emitted from screens causes interference with the brain’s sleep schedule, which results in a hard time trying to sleep soundly. However, diving deeper, we see that the negative effects of screen time extend beyond how well we sleep. Screens also hinder one’s ability to enter deep REM sleep. The importance of deep REM sleep? Deep REM sleep is what we use to process and store information. Not being able to enter this stage results in an inability to process information from the day and turn them into memories. This means that the knowledge you gain from school won’t be absorbed into your brain and will thus require you to study more.
It’s clear that screens aren’t as beneficial as they are made out to be. While our screens provide us with accessible information, dopamine boosts, and a relatively enjoyable experience, it’s important to pay attention and limit the time you spend on these screens lest you fall victim to the negative impacts. Some ways to help limit the needless time spent on meaningless apps are to grayscale your phone, turn on restrictions, and, exclusive to the iPhone, turn off the tap and raise to wake functions. At the end of the day, it’s imperative that we keep in mind that these pixels pack a heavy punch.
