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The detriments of screen time
and how to combat them

With most people working from home these days many are struggling to find balance when it comes to screen time.

Screen time can be anything from working on the computer, watching TV, or scrolling through social media on your cell phone. We have so many opportunities to be glued to a screen these days, it’s no wonder people are having trouble switching them off.

The Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, released in August 2020, outlined exactly why people may have trouble detaching from their cell phones in particular. Social media companies like Facebook and Instagram make more money the longer they can keep you entertained, so they use algorithms based on your activities online to keep you engaged. This has an addicting effect for many people, which has caused screen time on phones to skyrocket over the past decade. According to McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, social media is associated with increased anxiety, depression and even physical ailments.

A recent study out of Ryerson University found that 94 per cent of Canadians have at least one social media account leaving the majority of people at risk, especially young people. The Social Dilemma documentary outlines a steep upswing in self-harm and suicide in young girls in the United States as of 2010, around the time that many of the most popular social media sites were picking up steam.

94% of Canadians have at least one social media account leaving the majority of people at risk, especially young people.

The research is clear that social media is detrimental to our mental and physical health, and it is the culprit of keeping many people attached to screens for hours on end. This is only compounded by the fact that most of us work at computers all day long, especially in pandemic times, when most people are working from home and using technology to connect with co-workers and friends. A 2014 Nielson study found that the average adult logs about 11 hours of screen time a day, and that has more than likely increased with the COVID-19 pandemic. Screen time for children has been proven to have detrimental effects on their development; but adults can also experience symptoms because of excessive screen time including sleep disruption, vision issues, weight gain, and an overall decline in health.

So what can you do to help combat screen time in an age where it seems difficult to escape? Here are some quick tips on how you can safeguard your mental and physical health from the detriments of too much screen time.

Be aware of how much screen time you log

Being aware is the first step. There are some really helpful apps out there that will let you know how much time you spend on your phone and even help you limit your usage. Just knowing the number of hours you spend scrolling through Instagram or Facebook may shock you into making changes in your usage patterns. Usually, the screen time logged is higher than you think.

Take Screen breaks

Breaks are important for mental health and productivity, but make sure you aren’t spending those breaks staring at your phone. Take the time to make a coffee or tea, call a friend on the phone or take a short walk outside. Make sure that your breaks are not only a break from work but a break from the screen as well.

Block blue light

If you have to be on a screen at night consider installing a blue light blocker on your computer or investing a pair of blue light glasses. Overexposure to blue light that emanates from a screen can affect your sleep and even affect your vision long term. A blue light blocker on your screen can help with this, as well as blue light glasses that are widely available online. Also, if you get into a habit of putting on your glasses every time you sit down at a screen, it may make you even more aware of your screen usage patterns and help you decrease it.

Get outside

Getting outside to enjoy nature can be one of the best ways to get a break from screen time. Go for a run/walk in a nearby park, go for a bike ride or drive to a trail and go hiking. Not only will this time take you away from the screen but being in nature has been proven to have its own health benefits including lowering blood pressure and decreasing depression and anxiety. You can bring your phone with you for emergencies, but set it to silent so you don’t get any notifications that might entice you to pick it up!