The Importance of reducing screen time

By Sabha Hossan, 2025

Published 11/3/2023

The advancement and evolution of technology has led to screen time being higher than ever. According to statistics, the average person spends over 6 hours staring at a screen each day, which is almost equivalent to 44 years of screen time. The amount of time an average person spends on screens increases with age. Although doctors and researchers come up with different answers and statistics each time, most have proven that teenagers usually spend more time on screens than younger children. 

High screen time has been linked to mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Too much consumption of social media can negatively affect cognitive performance in school and make it hard to sleep at night. That’s why it’s important to limit screen time to as little as 2 hours or less per day. It’s been revealed that people with the fear of missing out (FOMO) may be more alert to notifications and the fear can contribute to poor mental health and increase stress. 

Cortisol, the stress hormone which plays a role in how the human body responds to stress, is increased with screen time. High levels of cortisol is associated with low energy levels and low quality sleep. It’s common to use screens to complete school work or any type of work, however, staring at screens for too long can cause “computer vision syndrome”. The symptoms include headaches, fatigue, and blurred vision. 

However, there are many ways to reduce the consequences of screen consumption. For example, setting time limits and taking breaks throughout the day are one of the many ways. Making meal-time and bedtime a device-free zone would be very beneficial. Being active and finding enjoyable hobbies without involving a device is another way to go about the day.  Deleting most used apps and turning off notifications to make your cellular device less appealing would be one of the most effective ways to reduce screen time. It’s very important to build a life outside of screens and substitute high levels of screen time for something more meaningful.