Are you suffering from too much screen time? What happens to your body when you spend extended periods looking at a screen? Is technology good or bad for mental health? And if technology isn’t going away, what can you do to keep control of its effects?
Internet and technology addiction is high. 94% of people admit feeling troubled when they don’t have a phone. Technology has brought us so many great opportunities. Similarly, it has enabled the advancement of thousands of industries and permanently changed our social construct (for good or bad).
However, along with all the good it brings, the internet has many downfalls. The most troubling aspect of the internet is that it is highly addictive. Studies show that our brains enjoy being overloaded with choices (like flipping the channels on your TV).
It isn’t necessarily the outcome that brings us joy; it’s the process of looking at your options with the anticipation that you’ll find something you’ll love.
When scrolling through your social media feeds, your brain releases a chemical called Dopamine. This chemical is associated with the anticipation of a reward, not with the reward itself (which was the original thought back when scientists thought of dopamine as ‘the happy chemical’).
Nowadays, research has shown us that Dopamine is released before the reward, for example, when you’re queueing for an exciting event or activity. Our bodies crave this chemical because it makes us feel good. But how does that relate to social media?
The Dopamine reward loop
Before opening your phone, your brain may release a small dose of Dopamine as a teaser. This ‘taste’ of the chemical causes us to seek more of it, which is where your social feeds come in. The mere act of scrolling our feeds is causing Dopamine to be released (in anticipation of finding something pleasurable to view).
Dopamine is associated with the reinforcing effects of drug use. It isn’t the addictive chemical but rather the sensation in the body caused by the chemical. Many addictive substances will trigger a release of Dopamine, which leads to feelings of happiness; hence, its relationship to addiction and drug use.
Internet addiction is particularly prevalent in adolescents. The average screen time for this group doubled during the Coronavirus pandemic to 7.7 hours a day – not including time spent in front of a screen for school work. The effects of this can be damaging to young people. To clarify, excessive time spent looking at a screen can impact one’s ability to communicate effectively in person; it is also linked to depression, anxiety, feelings of isolation and low self-esteem.
Typically, adults spend 145 minutes on social media per day.
Social media’s affect on the brain
When we scroll through our social media feeds, we (consciously or subconsciously) compare ourselves to everyone else. This leads to low self-esteem, social isolation, and the fear of missing out (FOMO).
While looking at all the beautiful posts that friends and family share, your brain subtly compares your life to that of the one perceived by social media.
Rarely is someone’s online profile a truly fitting tribute to their daily life because people tend only to post things that portray them in a positive light. However, our brains don’t process these falsities when we scroll through social media, resulting in low mood and feelings of inadequacy.
Negative interactions online can lead to depression. For every 10% increase in negative interactions, a person is 20% more likely to experience symptoms of depression. This is especially worrying for adolescents as they spend so much of their time on social media, and cyberbullying is rife in this age group.
How technology addiction affects us
Physical wellbeing
There are numerous ailments which can be attributed to excessive screen time. Our devices are so integrated into our lives that it’s hard to see the bad that they are doing to us. The issues caused by extended screen use are:
- Interruption of normal sleep patterns.
- Eyestrain.
- Weight gain.
- Physical inactivity.
- Eyestrain.
Spending lots of time staring at a screen will inevitably take its toll on your eyes. Symptoms of eyestrain include:
- Blurred vision.
- Dry eyes.
- Pains in head/neck/shoulders.
To reduce the effects of screens on your eyes, you should take regular breaks to look away from screens to give your eyes a rest.
Poor sleep
Many of us (myself included) are guilty of using our phones until bedtime. Like many other vices, we know this isn’t good for us, yet we can’t help but give in to temptation. But why is it bad for us?
The blue light emitted by electronics tampers with natural sleep patterns. Studies have even shown that using your device before bed on 5 consecutive days delays your circadian rhythms (or, in layman’s terms, your body clock) by 1.5 hours, which can lead to multiple problems with concentration, feelings of depression, and the ability to regulate moods.
Slips, trips and falls
When your head is buried in your phone, you’re not paying attention to the world around you. Many incidents have occurred where a person has been seriously injured because they were too busy looking at their phone.
Weight gain and physical inactivity
3.2 million deaths a year can be attributed to physical inactivity. Although we cannot solely blame technology for all of these deaths, our devices are frequently chosen over more worthwhile activities such as physical exercise and connecting with nature.
The advancement of electronics has caused many of us to become lazy; consequently, if we spend too much time sitting in front of a screen, we may experience some of the following:
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Heart problems
- Muscle and joint pain
Screen time for children
It is especially important that we monitor the amount of screen time children have, as excessive exposure to computer screens can have an even bigger effect on them. Frequent misuse of screens may result in:
- lower academic performance
- lack of attention span
- less creativity
- delays in development (language, emotional and social)
- physical inactivity/obesity
- social issues/anxiety
- aggressive behaviours
- addiction to technology
- higher BMI
As technology’s impact on children is greater, their use of it should be monitored and restricted. It is recommended that children between 0 and 18 months avoid screens altogether, and children between 2 and 5 years old are limited to no more than an hour of screen time a day.
How to manage technology addiction
The 20-20-20 rule: To reduce eyestrain, take a 20-second break every 20 minutes of screen time to look at something at least 20 feet (6 metres) away. This gives your eyes a well-needed rest and enables them to recover before returning to a screen.
Cleanse
Cleanse all of your unused apps. This will prevent you from receiving notifications that could draw you into the Dopamine cycle. You can also delete or create restricted times of use for the apps you don’t want to waste time on.
Opt for colourless
Set your screen to monochrome. All those bright colours can be distracting and may cause you to spend more time on a page before moving on. Setting your screen to black and white (especially during work or bedtime hours) will vent you from being sucked in and will enable you to walk away from your device with greater ease.
Switch off notifications
Turn off notifications. Unsurprisingly, the more notifications you get, the more likely you are to look at your phone. These devices are designed to keep you entertained and interacting; notifications play into their strengths. By switching off notifications (or at least most of them), you will significantly decrease the number of times you unlock your phone in the day; in addition, you will regain some of the power so that you are looking at your phone when you want to, not when the device wants you to.
Make time for necessary online actions
Schedule time to look at emails, social media, etc. We often can’t escape using these applications, but setting yourself a specific timeframe to check up on such communications frees up the rest of your day.
Go screen-free for the 1st and last hour of your day
Finally, resist the temptation of looking at your phone or computer in your day’s first and last hours. This will let your body warm up and cool down from the day. Switching off your device during these hours allows your body to return to its natural state, giving you the best chance at starting and ending your day healthily.