Impact of Screen Time on Adults: Strategies for Management
Smartphones beeping with weekly screen time reports cause a familiar knot in the stomach. Since the pandemic, our connection to devices has skyrocketed. Between work on laptops, virtual hangouts, and evening binge-watching, it all adds up to some serious screen time hours.
Let's face it, we know excessive screen time isn't great for our health, but with so much of our lives moving online, it's hard to make major cuts. So, how can we enjoy our screens without compromising our well-being?
The Screen-Sleep Connection
Fret not, there's some silver lining when it comes to screen time and sleep. According to Susan McCurry, research professor in Child, Family and Population Health Nursing at the UW School of Nursing, total screen time doesn't impact adult sleep. However, nighttime screen usage can stir problems.
Exposure to screen light, particularly blue light, can interfere with melatonin production and soak up your sleepiness. Scrolling through exciting content or nerve-wracking news keeps your mind stimulated and alert, making it tough to wind down. McCurry points out, "People sleep better when their minds are in a relaxed, calm state before bed."
Another factor to consider is that if screen time prevents you from moving around and eating well during the day, those downstream effects can still keep you up at night.
Better Sleep Strategies
Striking a healthy balance between screen time and sleep can be a reality. Here's how:
Establish a Nighttime Routine
McCurry recommends quiting all screen usage 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime. For busy folks who need to work after their kids retire or late-night shifts, planning ahead can help. Schedule work with less cognitive demands and, if possible, do without a screen. If you can't avoid screens, enable nighttime modes to block blue light.
Avoid Screen Scrolling in Bed
If you can't fall asleep, resist the temptation of late-night doomscrolling. After about 20 minutes, get up and dive into a calming offline activity. Reading or listening to quiet music can help relax your body for sleep, and removing yourself from your bedroom teaches it that bedtime is for sleep, not screen time.
Screen Time and Vision
Long hours in front of screens can trigger eye strain and vision problems known as digital eyestrain or, if symptoms persist, computer vision syndrome. Excessive screen time, combined with headaches and focusing issues, can cause discomfort and even impact eyesight.
"Blue light, made of shorter wave lengths, is harder for our eyes to focus on and causes eye fatigue," shares Dr. Susan Dini, an optometrist at UW Medicine Primary & Urgent Care at Ravenna. Dini mentions other causes of computer vision syndrome, including glare, screen angle, screen content size, and infrequent blinking when staring at screens. If you already have vision problems, spending long hours slouched in front of screens can make them worse.
"Over time, chronic screen time and close-up viewing can stretch the shape of your eyeballs and potentially leave you vulnerable to retinal detachment, myopia, and macular damage," Dini warns.
Protecting Your Vision
Though screens can tire out our eyes, here are ways to maintain eye health and vision:
Take Breaks
Taking mini-breaks from screen time can help protect your eyes. Set reminders or use apps to signal time-outs, and follow the 20-20-20 rule when working extensively: look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
Block Blue Light
Change your device settings or don blue light-blocking glasses if you spend over five hours gazing at screens daily. Consider using e-readers that mimic the look of paper to reduce strain on your eyes.
Maintain Your Tear Layer
Blinking less frequently when looking at screens can cause itchy and irritated eyes. Dini suggests keeping a sticky note with "Blink!" as a reminder, applying eye drops, doing blinking exercises, staying hydrated, eating omega-3 foods, and using a hot compress to ease dry eye irritation.
Screen Time and Well-being
Increased screen time has been linked to migraines in young adults, sedentary behavior leading to weight gain, increased risk of depression, and elevated stress and loneliness. According to Dr. Ahana Roy, an internal medicine physician at UW Medicine Primary Care: "When you look at the bigger picture, everything is interconnected." This is because snacking while watching TV or sitting for long periods can lead to unhealthy habits, negatively impacting overall health.
Roy advises limiting screen time to eight hours per day for work or two to four hours for leisure use. However, given the numerous aspects of life moving online, following these suggestions can be a challenge. Lucky for us, there are ways to mitigate the negative effects of screens on our health:
Promoting Well-being
The impact of screens on overall health is real, but we don't have to abandon our devices in the name of wellness. Instead of viewing screens as enemies, explore ways to make screen usage more sustainable by checking in with yourself and making smart choices throughout your day:
Add Movement
Whether at work or unwinding with a show, incorporate movement into your routine. Use standing desks, stretch, exercise, or take small breaks for movement. If you usually catch up with friends via video chat, organise a call while taking a walk.
Avoid Bingeing
Break the cycle of late-night TV marathons or mindless snacking. Focus on enjoying your food and checking in with yourself about your hunger level and desire to eat more or spend more time in front of screens. Consider dedicating one night a week to spending time outdoors or engaging in a favorite hobby instead of watching shows or browsing online.
Giving Screens a Healthier Future
Electronic devices are a big part of our lives, but compromising wellness doesn't have to be the cost. Avoid casting screens as the villain; instead, find ways to use them sustainably by checking in with yourself throughout the day, taking breaks, and making mindful choices. With these habits, you can reduce screen-related harm without sacrificing your gadgets.
- According to Susan McCurry, research professor in Child, Family and Population Health Nursing at the UW School of Nursing, total screen time doesn't impact adult sleep, but nighttime screen usage can stir problems.
- Exposure to screen light, particularly blue light, can interfere with melatonin production and soak up your sleepiness, as Susan McCurry points out.
- Increased screen time has been linked to elevated stress and loneliness, sedentary behavior leading to weight gain, and increased risk of depression, according to Dr. Ahana Roy, an internal medicine physician at UW Medicine Primary Care.
- To mitigate the negative effects of screens on our health, Dr. Ahana Roy advises limiting screen time and promoting well-being by adding movement and avoiding bingeing throughout the day.
