Screen Time’s Effect On Mental Health

What’s the Link Between Screen Time and Mental Health?

Screen time can refer to different activities, such as playing video games, watching videos, chatting on social platforms, and texting.

The more time you spend online, the more likely it is to affect your mental health and lead to the development of mental health symptoms. Mental health symptoms connected to screen time include:

• Aggression
• Trouble staying on task
• Trouble focusing

The more screen time you engage in over an extended period, the more it can lead to an increase in mental health symptom severity. You may even develop a mental health disorder.

Is Excessive Screen Time Linked to Mental Health Disorders?

Yes. Excessive screen time can lead to mental health disorders. Some of the most common issues include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Sleep disorders
• Eating disorders
• Social anxiety
• Screen addiction
• Suicidal thoughts

Fortunately, reducing screen time can reverse and improve mental health outcomes. Researchers in a study published in BMC Medicine measured the effects of reducing screen time on mental health, finding that participants experienced reduced stress and depressive symptoms. They also slept better and had improved overall well-being.

Mental health disorders are typically due to changes that take place in the brain, altering its functioning. Excessive screen time may cause reactions that are similar to other addictions.

What Does Screen Time Do to the Brain?

If you feel the urge to engage in online activities, like gaming or connecting with others on social media, you may be experiencing the impact of what screen time does to your brain.

Actions associated with online activity can trigger the release of feel-good chemicals in the brain. One example is an increase in cortical neurons, those responsible for sensory processing in the cerebral cortex, when the tips of your fingers touch screens or keyboards.

Screen time urges and cravings can mimic those of other addictions. When you engage in online activities, the dopamine neurotransmitters are released at higher levels, making you feel pleasure. You then associate that feeling with screen time, repeating the cycle of getting online to seek pleasure and reward. When you can’t access online activities, you feel negative emotions, like anxiety or depression.

There may also be benefits for the brain when engaging in online activities, such as improving memory, multitasking, visual attention, and reaction time. However, spending too much time produces mental health problems that outweigh the benefits. For example:

• Attention problems
• Emotional dysregulation
• Poor social intelligence
• Social isolation
• Addiction
• Impaired brain development
• Lack of restorative sleep

You can avoid the negative impact of screen time while still receiving its benefits. To do so, you must assess your usage and determine whether the time you spend online is excessive.

How Much Screen Time Is Too Much Screen Time?

The effects of screen time will vary depending on age, reason for being online, underlying mental health issues, and more. However, the American Medical Association (AMA) recommends the following:

• No screen time for children under two
• One hour or less for children between two and five
• For those six and older, two hours or less

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states there is a correlation between screen time and anxiety and depression for those who spend two or more hours online. Unfortunately, most people spend far more than two hours a day engaging in online activities.

Signs That Your Screen Time Is Affecting Your Mental Health

If being online is affecting your mental health, you will experience noticeable signs, especially when you are not able to get online. Some may even interfere with how you function at home, work, school, or socially, such as:

• Having cravings and urges to spend time online
• Fearing boredom if you are not online
• Being easily annoyed when interrupted while online
• Losing sleep to be online
• Fantasizing about being online
• Feeling happier when online versus being social in person
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you can’t be online

If you experience any of these symptoms, you may have a problem with screen time. Meeting one or more criteria may indicate that you are spending too much time online. Meeting most of the criteria can mean you have a serious problem and should seek help to overcome it.

These symptoms, along with others listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5), can help a mental health professional determine if you have a mental health disorder.

How Much Screen Time Is Healthy?

The AMA claims healthy screen time is all about balance. Asking yourself questions, like the following, can help you determine if you are out of balance and need to make changes:

• Is your screen time interfering with your ability to get quality sleep?
• Is your screen time interfering with healthy eating?
• Are you avoiding healthy physical activity to be online?

If you respond “yes” to one or more of these questions, it may be time to reduce your screen time and seek help if you struggle to do so.

How Does Excessive Screen Time Affect Teens and Adolescents?

Teens and adolescents may be most affected by screen time because their brains and bodies are still developing.

Being online can alter how their brains function, which can then lead to thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that worsen their mental health. Screen time can impact cognitive, language, and social-emotional development. Problems may appear as the following:

• Learning problems
• Poor academic performance
• Obesity
• Sleep disturbances
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Aggressiveness
• Impaired emotional comprehension
• Impaired social skills

The later a child begins having screen time, the less impact it may have on their development. This may also help them avoid misuse that can lead to other unhealthy behaviors.

Tips to Reduce Screen Time

You don’t have to quit being online altogether to reduce screen time. You can have positive mental health as long as you create boundaries. To receive the benefits of screen time while avoiding its pitfalls, take these simple steps:

• Wait an hour each day before getting online.
• Track your time online using a tracking app on your phone or by analyzing your phone or computer’s data.
• Make a plan that sets limits for online usage.
• Reorganize your digital space to minimize distractions.
• Stay busy by engaging in activities that do not involve screen time.
• Get help from a friend, family member, or a professional to help you avoid screen time.

Try unplugging and going digital-free for a day, or for specific hours. If you struggle with unplugging, seek an assessment to determine why.

Tools to Reduce Screen Time

You can use apps and online tools to reduce the time you spend using a screen. The tools let you track your use, set goals, block features, evaluate your progress, make your technology less engaging, and offer incentives to reduce online time. Some examples of evidence-based programs include:

• Forest
• Detox: Procrastination Blocker
• App Usage
• Space
• Screen Time
• AntiSocial
• Digital Wellbeing
• App Detox
• Offtime
• QualityTime
• Flipd
• RescueTime
• ScreenTime (iOS)

According to a study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, ScreenTime (iOS) and AntiSocial seemed to have better outcomes than the other apps. ScreenTime (iOS) helps you with self-tracking, goal setting, blocking, gamification, and social tracking. It is also simpler to use compared to other apps. Apple’s built-in ScreenTime (iOS) is free. However, third-party add-ons require a fee if you want to use their tools.

AntiSocial is also beneficial for self-tracking, goal setting, spontaneous and scheduled blocking, and global comparison social tracking. While it doesn’t have gamification or rewards, it was determined to be more effective than other apps. AntiSocial has a free version you can download. It has basic capabilities. They also offer premium versions that cost a small monthly fee.

Choosing an app is a personal decision, and what works for others may not be what helps you reach your goals. Keep trying apps until you find one that enables you to achieve your goals.

Start Reducing Screen Time

Too much screen time can directly affect your mental health. It can cause symptoms like anxiety and depression and may trigger additional symptoms. It can be especially harmful to children and teens whose minds are not fully developed.

If you struggle to reduce screen time on your own, that’s okay; help is available. Contact a mental health professional and request an evaluation. They can help you reduce your screen time and get back to a healthy, happier you.