68% Believe Excessive Screen Time Will Lead To Long-term Health Effects

Excessive screen time is associated with a higher risk of mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is because it can disrupt sleep patterns and contribute to social isolation. However, not all screen time is equal, and some activities can actually be beneficial for mental health.

It is crucial to be mindful of the time spent on screens and engage in various social activities that promote mental well-being.

Real Research, an online survey app, has launched a survey on correlation between excessive screen time and mental health problems to gather more information on the association between excessive screen time and mental health problems.

Key Points:

• 67.5% believe that excessive screen time can lead to mental health problems
• The inability to focus or pay attention is one of the concerns, say 34.21%
• On average, 30.71% use electronic devices for a period ranging from 4 to 6 hours daily.

Initially, we asked the respondents if they thought excessive screen time could lead to mental health problems. Most (67.5%) believed so and 32.5% did not believe it. Similarly, the next poll asks whether excessive screen time can lead to long-term effects on mental health.

67.64% agreed that excessive use could lead to long-term adverse effects and 32.36% disagreed.

Effects of Device Addiction

According to Figure 1, a majority of (34.21%) stated the inability to focus or pay attention and (30.37%) stated increased anxiety. Meanwhile, 11.22% cited depression, 8.47% cited fatigue, and 8.23% cited insomnia.

Survey Reveals the Most Impacted Age Groups

In the following poll, participants were asked to identify the age group that is most susceptible to experiencing mental health issues due to prolonged screen time.

The majority (38.62%) of respondents believed that children below the age of 7 are the most vulnerable, followed by 23.69% who identified the age group of 7-10 years old.

Additionally, 15.69% of respondents believed that mental health challenges are prevalent among those aged 11-15 years old, while 9.25% and 6.4% identified the age groups of 16-20 years old and 21-30 years old, respectively.

Exploring the Relationship Between Screen Time Limits and Improved Mental Health

In recent years, there has been growing concern about the negative effects of excessive screen time on mental health, particularly in young children and adolescents.

Studies have suggested that prolonged exposure to screens can contribute to a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. As a result, many experts recommend limiting screen time as a way to promote positive mental health outcomes.

According to the data, 19.56% of participants believed that limiting screen time can improve sleep quality. 17.18% believed that limiting screen time can provide more time to prioritize activities that boost self-esteem, such as exercise, socializing, or pursuing hobbies.

Read Also: Over 47% Use Smartphones Before Going To Bed

Furthermore, 17.09% stated that limiting screen time can enhance time management skills, leading to reduced stress.

Finally, 15.53% of participants believed that limiting screen time can increase productivity. This is because excessive screen time can lead to distractions and procrastination, hindering productivity and contributing to stress and anxiety.

Commonly Used Electronic Devices

In the following poll, participants were asked to identify the electronic devices they use the most. The data revealed that 30.96%, reported using smartphones the most making it the most commonly used electronic device. Televisions were the second most commonly used device, with 14.61% of participants reporting using them the most.

12.99% of participants reported using desktop computers the most, while 12.73% reported using laptops the most. Additionally, 10.9% of participants reported using tablets the most.

The results of this survey suggest that smartphones are the most widely used electronic device, followed by televisions, desktop computers, laptops, and tablets, in that order.

Among the respondents, the following survey asked to report the average amount of time they spend using electronic devices each day. The majority of respondents, 30.71%, reported spending between 4-6 hours per day on electronic devices.

25.4% of respondents reported spending between 1-3 hours per day, while 20.02% reported spending less than 1 hour per day. On the other hand, 14.86% of respondents reported spending between 7-9 hours per day, and 9.01% reported spending more than 9 hours per day using electronic devices.

These findings suggest that a significant proportion of respondents spend a considerable amount of time using electronic devices daily, with the largest group spending between 4-6 hours daily.

Physical Discomfort Associated With Excessive Screen Time

The survey asked participants to identify physical discomfort they have experienced due to excessive screen time. The majority of respondents, 23.58%, reported experiencing eye strain.

Other commonly reported discomforts included headaches, with 13.96% of respondents reporting this issue, and fatigue, with 11.64% of respondents experiencing this problem. In addition, 11.37% of respondents reported sleeplessness and 10.49% reported experiencing back and neck pain.

Mental Health Concerns Associated With Excessive Screen Time

The survey asked participants to list any negative impacts on their mental health, they had encountered as a result of spending too much time in front of the screen. Data showed that fatigue was the most frequently reported issue, with 15.17% of respondents having this issue.

Reduced attention span and insomnia were two other issues that were frequently raised, with 11.57% and 11.16% of respondents, respectively, reporting these issues. In addition, 8.8% of respondents said they were worried about social isolation, and 8.02% said they had mood swings. 7.59% of respondents also mentioned having depression.

Read Also: 42% Say Depression Is the Most Common Mental Health Disorder

Popular Strategies Used To Curb Excessive Screen Time

Lastly, the survey asked what actions participants had taken to cut back on their excessive screen time. The findings revealed that 17.91% of respondents said they regularly took breaks from using electronics as a way to limit their screen time.

Other well-liked methods included doing things other than watching screens (15.91%), turning off electronics before going to bed (15.43%), using tracking apps to keep tabs on screen time (13.01%), and disabling notifications (11.87%).

These results indicate that people use a variety of strategies to control their screen time, with frequent breaks being the most popular one.