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Screen time and its impact on health

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 Screen time and its impact on health
Subodh H Bharadwaj

Abstract-
With digitalisation reaching its peak, it is vital to understand the effects it has on health. The
present study sought to establish the relationship between screen time and its impact on
health. With entertainment, advertising, and information technologies shared through screens,
screen time has been on the rise. A qualitative study was conducted surveying 102 respondents
and the results indicated that screen time does have an impact on health. The study also sought
to establish the relationship between screen time and the coronavirus pandemic.

Keywords: Digitalisation, Screen time, Health, Pandemic

Introduction -
With the advent of the digital era, paper has been replaced by the screen. Screen time is the
amount of time spent using a device with a screen. The screen, whether it be a computer,
smartphone, television, or video game console has been a symbol of modernization. With this
modernization, health regarding screen time has taken a back step. Easy smartphone access,
cheap internet availability, and free content have greatly contributed to the increase in screen
time. Evidence suggests that adults spend as much as 11 hours in front of a screen. The
emergence of the coronavirus pandemic has made work from home and online education a
part of life, which has significantly increased screen time which in turn has negative
consequences on our health.

Studies have shown that screen time affects our physical health, mental health and directly
impacts child development. Excessive screen time results in a sedentary lifestyle with little to
no physical activity. Artificial light emitting from screens affects our eyes, brain, and sleep.
Because of these concerns, experts have suggested controlling screen time. In recent years
there have been significant strides made to reduce screen time; some governments have
placed restrictions on its usage while some companies have considered the possibility of
allowing employees to have breaks from their work in order to not view a screen.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM –
The purpose of this study was to look at negative effects of screen time on humans and to
understand the impact it has on health.
OBJECTIVE OF THE RESEARCH -
• Analyse the time spent in front of a screen with respect to various factors.
• Studying the relationship between excessive screen time and physical health problems.
• Studying the relationship between excessive screen time and mental health problems.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE-
Aric Sigman (2012) quantitively studied how children’s health in Britain is being affected by
increase in screen time. The research found that children by the age of 10 have regular access
to five different screens at home. Research also found that over the course of childhood,
children spend more time watching television than they spend at school. It was also found that
the increase in screen time has been associated with negative cognitive outcomes for children
between the ages of 0 and 4. Children with higher screen time scored lower on number
knowledge and classroom engagement.

Madhav KC and Samendra Sherchan (2017) studied the association between screen time and
depression among US adults. The findings of the study suggested that screen time was
associated with moderate or severe depression among US adults. The research also found that
screen time was a significant risk factor for mental health disorders among US adults.

Ernesto Ramirez (2011) studied ‘Adolescent screen time and rules to limit screen time at home.'
His primary focus was to investigate associations between adolescent screen time behaviours
and screen time rules. Data indicated that screen time rules was significantly correlated with
time spent watching TV (β = −.22, p < .01), playing video games (β = −.18, p < .05) and using the
internet for entertainment (β = −.18, p < .05). From the findings, it was concluded that setting
limits on screen time was associated with fewer hours of screen time for adolescents.

Andrew K. Przybylski (2019) conducted a research on ‘Digital screen time and paediatric sleep.
The findings from the research indicated that each hour devoted to digital screens was
associated with 3-8 fewer minutes of nightly sleep and significantly lower levels of sleep
consistency. However, links between digital screen time and paediatric sleep outcomes were
modest, accounting for less than 1.9% of the observed variability in sleep outcomes. In the end,
it was concluded that Contextual factors surrounding screen time exert a more pronounced
influence on paediatric sleep compared to screen time itself.

Margot Shields, Mark S Tremblay (2008) studied ‘Screen time among Canadian adults. The
study found that three in 10 people (29%) reported that they averaged 15 or more hours per
week watching television and 19% reported 21 or more hours per week watching television.
29% of the Canadian adults were classified as frequent television viewers. It was also found that
the working-age population, employed full-time were less likely to be frequent viewers of
television than people who were not employed.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY-
After conducting a preliminary study on the above-mentioned research topic, descriptive
research was adopted to collect data. A questionnaire was sent to individuals to gauge their
views on the very topic. The source of data collection was primary as it was collected for the
first time. The answers were accepted through the online service “Google Forms”. The survey
targeted individuals from every age group to understand their opinion and was sent
electronically.
The research followed simple random sampling as every respondent had an equal chance of
delivering his/her response. The sample consists of 102 respondents of which the majority of
the respondents belonged to the age group 1-18(51%). On analysing the survey results, certain
inferences were reached, and conclusions were drawn.

DATA ANALYSIS AND INTEPRETATION-

Responses to “Select age group?”

AGE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)

1-18 52 51
19-25 36 35.3
26-40 4 3.9
41-60 7 6.9
60+ 3 2.9

Table 1: Classification of respondents based on age

The respondents were asked to indicate their age group; all age ranges were represented in the
results, as shown in Table 1. The breakdown of age groups consisted of 51% between 1 and 18,
35.3% between 19 and 25, 3.9% between 26 and 40, 6.9% between 41-60, and 2.9% were 60
and above.
Responses to “How many hours do you estimate you spend a day in front of a screen?”

Figure 1: Distribution of hours spent in front of a screen per day on different devices
In the case of duration of screen time, the given options varied from less than 1 hour to 8-14
hours. Out of 102 responses, 5 responses (4.9%) corresponded to less than 1 hour, 3 responses
(2.9%) corresponded to 1-2 hours, 20 responses (19.6%) corresponded to 2-4 hours, 53
responses (52%) corresponded to 4-8 hours and 21 responses (20.6%) corresponded to 8-14
hours. The majority of responses spent between 5-8 hours per day looking at a screen, which is
a significant part of the day. After calculations, mean duration of screen time per day by the
respondents was found to be 6.06 hours.
Responses to “What do you feel about the amount of time you spend in front of a screen on a
daily basis?”

Figure 2: Percentage distribution of opinion towards screen time spent on a daily basis.
In the case of opinion on screen time spent on a daily basis, the choices provided were high,
moderate, low, and no opinion. 51 respondents (49.5%) feel that their screen time is high
whereas 42 respondents (40.8%) feel that their screen time is moderate. 6 respondents (5.8%)
feel that their screen time is low and 4 respondents (3.9%) had no opinion.

Responses to “Which device do you spend your most screen time on?”

DEVICE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)

Computer/Laptop 36 35.3%
Mobile/Tablet 60 58.8%
Television 5 4.9%

Table 2: Classification of respondents based on device used for most screen time
From the data we understand that, mobile/tablet is the most used device with 58.8% of the
respondents using it for their screen time. Computer/laptop is not far behind with 35.3% of the
respondents. Lastly 4.9% of the respondents spend their most screen time on television.
Responses to “How has the coronavirus pandemic affected your screen time?”

Figure 3: Distribution of the effect of the coronavirus pandemic with regard to screen time.
From the data we see that the screen time has definitely been impacted by the onset of the
pandemic. 95 out of 102 respondents claimed that their screen time has increased due to the
pandemic. 7 out of 102 respondents claimed that their screen time has not been affected and 1
respondent claimed that their screen time has decreased due to the pandemic.

Responses to “What is the majority of your screen time spent on?”

Figure 4: Percentage distribution of majority of screen time spent on.
44 out of 102 respondents (43.1%) remarked that their majority of screen time is spent on
work/college/school. This clearly shows that the majority of work and learning is done through
a screen, this could be because of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. 28 out of 102
respondents (27.5%) remarked that their majority of screen time is spent on movies/TV
shows/streaming platforms, 21.6% of the respondents spend majority of screen time on social
media whereas 7.8% of the respondents spend their screen time on video games.
Response to “How soon after waking up do you interact with a screen?”

PARTICULARS FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE (%)

As soon as I wake up 63 61.8
Within an hour of waking up 32 31.4
Several hours after waking up 7 6.9

Table 4: Classification of respondents based on interaction with a screen after waking up.
63 respondents (61.8%) said that they interact with a screen as soon as they wake up. 32
respondents (31.4%) said that they interact with a screen within an hour of waking up. 7
respondents (6.9%) said that they interact with a screen several hours after waking up. In a
world where technology has taken over, screens are becoming a necessity as soon as waking
up.
Responses to “Have you experienced any of the following physical health effects with the
increase in screen time?”

Figure 5: Classification of respondents based on physical health effects with increase in screen
time.
With respect to physical health effects from screen time the respondents could choose multiple
options. 47 of the respondents chose headache as a physical effect from screen time. 35 of the
respondents chose Asthenopia (Eye strain), 35 of the respondents chose back pain/neck pain
and 33 respondents chose sleep deprivation as a physical effect from screen time. 23
respondents said that they did not have any physical effects from screen time. With the
majority of the respondents having some or the other physical health effects, it shows that
health has taken a step back with the process of digitalisation.

Responses to “Is your behaviour influenced by the amount of screen time you get?”
Figure 6: Percentage distribution of screen time influencing behaviour of a person.
54 respondents (52.4%) feel that their behaviour is not influenced by the screen time they get.
33 respondents (32%) feel that their behaviour is influenced by their screen time. 16
respondents (15.5%) feel that their behaviour may be influenced by their screen time. This
shows that the majority of the respondents feel that screen time does not influence their
behaviour.

Responses to “Do prefer watching your favourite television show rather than spending time
with friends and family?”
Figure 7: Percentage distribution of respondents preferring to watch their favourite television
show rather than spending time with friends and family
60 respondents (58.6%) said that they would prefer hanging out with friends and family rather
than watching their television show. 22 respondents (21.4%) said that they would prefer to
watch their favourite television show rather than spending time with friends and family. Lastly,
21 respondents (20.4%) said that they maybe would prefer to watch their favourite television
show rather than spending time with friends and family. Majority of the respondents would
prefer to spend time with friends and family rather than watch a screen.
Responses to “How has the increase in screen time affected your efficiency at
work/academics?”

Figure 8: Percentage distribution of efficiency at work/academics with increase in screen time.

57 out of 102 respondents (55.3%) said that the increase in screen time has negatively affected
their efficiency at work/academics. 31 respondents (31.1%) said that their efficiency at
work/academics has not been affected by an increase in screen time. 14 respondents (13.6%)
said that their efficiency at work has been positively affected by the increase in screen time.
With more than 55% of the respondents saying that their efficiency at work/academics has
been negatively impacted, it shows that screen time is not only impacting a person’s health
physically but their ability at work/academics also.

Responses to “Do you think that you would be happier with less screen time?
Figure 9: Percentage distribution of whether respondents would be happier with lesser screen
time.
69 out of 102 respondents (67.6%) said that they would be happier with lesser screen time. 24
out of 102 respondents (23.5%) said that screen time has no impact on their happiness. 9
respondents (8.8%) said that they would not be happier with lesser screen time. The inference
thereof is that majority of the respondents feel that not looking at a screen makes them
happier. This indicates that screen time does have an effect on the mental health of a person.

Responses to “Do you feel that it is important to set a goal to reduce screen time?”
Figure 10: Percentage distribution of importance of setting a goal to reduce screen time
81 respondents (78.6%) feel that it was important to set a goal in order to reduce screen time.
12 respondents (11.7%) feel that setting a goal was maybe important to reduce screen time. 10
respondents (9.7%) feel that it was not important to set a goal in order to reduce screen time.

DISCUSSION-

• 25.5% of respondents look at a screen for 8 or more hours which is equivalent to 1/3rd
of a day. However, we see that older age groups i.e.,41-60 and 60+ have lesser screen
time compared to the younger age groups i.e.,1-18 and 19-25. 49% of the respondents
feel that their screen time is high and the majority of the respondents spend their
screen time on work/college/school using their mobile phone/tablet.

• 92.2% of the respondents feel that their screen time has increased due to the
coronavirus pandemic. With work from home culture and education being imparted
through screens, serious differences can be seen with respect to screen time before and
during the pandemic. With the significant increase in screen time during the pandemic,
there is an increase in a sedentary lifestyle.

• Among the physical health effects from screen time, the majority of the respondents
said that headache was a predominant effect from screen time. Asthenopia (Eye strain)
and back/neck pain was also cited as a physical health effect from screen time.
 • 55.9% of the respondents feel that their efficiency at work has reduced due to the
increase in screen time. 52.9% of the respondents feel that screen time does not
influence their behaviour, indicating that the majority of the respondents feel that their
behaviour does not matter on screen time but on other factors.

• 78.4% of the respondents feel that it was imported to set a goal to reduce screen time.
When the respondents were asked, “What changes they would make in their lifestyle in
order to reduce screen time?” Majority of them felt that exercising more, spending
more time with family, and finding new hobbies were some of the ways to reduce
screen time.

CONCLUSION-
The aim of this research was to understand the health effects arising out of screen time. The
analysis of the data collected yielded quite a few points of discussion. We see that older age
groups have less screen time compared to the younger age groups, older age groups also prefer
to watch content on television instead of a mobile phone or a laptop.
When it comes to screen time, the pandemic has definitely made a significant impact. With the
increase in screen time, physical health effects are seen among the respondents. Headaches,
Asthenopia (Eye strain), back/neck pain, sleep deprivation, and lowered physical fitness were
the major physical health effects seen from respondents.
With regard to mental health, it was seen that the behaviour of a person does not matter with
regard to screen time however, respondents did believe that they would be happier and their
efficiency at work/academics would increase with lesser screen time. It was also seen that the
respondents prefer spending time with friends and family rather than watching their favourite
television program.
The findings of my research showed that majority of respondents felt that it was important to
set a goal in order to reduce screen time. The ways in which lesser screen time could be
achieved included exercising more, spending more time with family, and finding new hobbies.

REFERENCES-
1. Screen time, from Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_time
 2. Neza Stiglic (2019) ‘Effects of screen time on the health and well-being of children and
adolescents: a systematic review of reviews retrieved from’
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/1/e023191
3. Aris Mosley (2020) ‘The negative effects of screen time for adults and children.’
https://blog.valleywisehealth.org/negative-effect-of-screen-time-adults-children/ .

4. Madhav, KC and Samendra Sherchan (2017) ‘Association between screen time and depression
among US adults.’ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5574844/

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