By Katie Richardson, Science Editor
Let's admit to the fact that we as humans tend to have a technology obsession in the society that we live in. Everyday, we are constantly scrolling through social media, checking the likes on our recent Instagram posts, or our snap score on Snapchat. It’s almost obligatory to update your 2020 photo album on Facebook. Yet do we really know how all this screen time is affecting us mentally and physically?
Screen time is a word used to describe how much time people spend using a device, whether this is a computer, TV screen or a mobile phone. It is a concept undergoing significant research as to whether increased screen time has an effect or correlation with the mental wellbeing of an individual. On average, according to market research conducted by Childwise in 2015, children aged from 5-16 spend 6.5 hours or more looking at a screen everyday. That’s almost a quarter of a young child's day spent looking at a screen. Surely this isn’t beneficial?
There are many possible ‘side effects’ that looking at a screen can have on our physical health, the most common issue being weight gain. If you are looking at a screen for long periods of time, chances are you are sitting or lying down on the sofa or your bed etc. As little as 2 hours of screen time per day can increase your risk of weight gain, which can lead to complicated health problems. In addition, looking at a screen for too long can cause ‘computer vision syndrome’ to occur, which is when your vision becomes blurred or you start to develop a headache due to the fact you are looking at a screen for extended periods of time.
The main issue, however, surrounding an increased amount of screen time is the detrimental impact it has on sleeping. Previous studies have linked heavy computer and smartphone usage with increased sleeping issues. This is predominantly caused by the blue light used in digital devices, which suppresses the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, keeping us from having restful sleep. As we all know, sleep is extremely important for our bodies and if we don’t get enough, the physical and mental effects can often be severe. So, how do we really unplug?
Many devices, especially Apple, have included a software called ‘Screen Time’ which gives you daily/weekly notifications of how much time you are spending on your digital devices. This is useful as, within settings, you can set specific times for certain apps of when to stop using them- for example, you could set a usage time of 30 minutes a day for Instagram. Once this 30 minutes is up, the device will no longer allow you to use this app. Parents are also able to set up screen times for younger children on linked devices, helping to control the amount of time spent looking at a screen. You can also turn on the night-time mode on your device or simply turn off the blue light which causes these issues, therefore, reducing the impacts of technology on sleeping.
When doing important revision or homework, social media and phones can often be a major distraction for most people. Instead of having your phone right next to you whilst trying to work out a complicated maths question, turn it off or onto airplane mode and place it in a drawer or somewhere out of your reach, so you are not tempted to check how many likes you have received on your latest Instagram post. This will allow you to put all your effort and focus into the school work instead of having multiple distractions. There are even apps to combat this issue, like Forest App, which is a popular productivity app which helps people beat their phone addiction and manage their time in an interesting and pleasant way. Users can earn credits by not using their phones to plant real trees around the world.
Finally, the one that we all struggle with, is the issue of using our phones in bed and before we go to sleep. This is the worst thing to do as the lighting of the screen you are looking at is the same light as you see in the daytime. Therefore, your brain will think that it is still daylight, leaving you more awake. Playing games can also keep the mind active, which stops you from falling asleep as easily, leaving you tired the next day. Instead of using your phone in bed, try to find a book you might enjoy and read about 2 chapters a night. This will help to relax the brain, allowing you to fall asleep a lot easier. Or, try to meditate as this helps switch off the mind ready for sleep. If you really can’t find anything to do before going to bed to stop you from updating your status on Facebook or trying to pass the next level on Candy Crush, turn your phone onto night mode, which makes the screen a more yellow/orange colour, so that is it less harsh on your eyes.
Overall, there are many simple ways to combat this issue of not being able to unplug. Just changing a few simple things in your daily routine of using technology can increasingly reduce the impacts that technology has on us. Why not try some of these tips and tricks, and see how much better you will feel.
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