Screen Time
We often hear about the negative impacts of "screen time," but there is more to the story.
"Screen time" isn't inherently problematic or bad for us. A few main factors impact whether screen time is beneficial or harmful:
Balance: Problems arise when we spend so much time in front of screens that we neglect other areas of our lives, like exercise and in-person socialization. For children, time spent using devices needs to be balanced with time doing things like playing outside, hands-on (no tech) activities, and interacting with other children face-to-face.
Quality: Not all screen time is created equal; it can be beneficial or harmful based on what is being done in front of the screen. When used for creating content, creativity, educational purposes, etc. screen time can have a very positive impact. However, mindlessly consuming content, interacting with negative content such as violence, or spending too much time on social media comparing yourself with others (particularly for teens and pre-teens) can have negative effects.Â
Blue Light: Many people are also concerned about blue light. Blue light mimics wavelengths found in sunlight and is not harmful during the day; it's when we're exposed to blue light near when we try to sleep that it causes problems. Near bedtime, blue light can be minimized by wearing blue light blocking glasses, filtering your screen using an app, or avoiding electronic devices altogether.
Very Young Children: While studies have not been able to conclusively prove negative impacts of screen time on older children and teens (it seems to depend on what they are doing and how much of it), studies have found it likely that it has a negative impact on very young children. It is recommended that before age 18 months screens only be used for activities such as video calls with family members, then from ages 18 months to 5 children should spend no more than an hour a day using devices or watching TV. (Tips for Ages 0-2)
"A study published in 2019 in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity... recorded [students'] use of screen time in diaries, categorizing screen time as social, passive, interactive, educational, and other. Passive screen time was found to have the most negative outcomes while educational screen time had the most positive outcomes and no negative impact... The same result was evident with interactive screen time." -Source
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