Woman looks on the screen of her mobile phone.
Screens. They’re everywhere – as closely linked to our lives, it seems, as our limbs.
Any number of electronic devices ping us perpetually with texts, emails, and alerts, all while social media sucks us into constant conversations.
It’s a lot – too much at times.
“The many screens that connect us to the internet and social media have a lot of great benefits,” said Kelly Brennan, Capital Blue Cross Senior Director of Health Promotion and Wellness. “They help us feel more connected, allow us to research information quickly, track our physical activity and what we eat, etc. But it’s also important that we stay mindful about our digital well-being. Too much digital engagement can increase anxiety and loneliness for some people, and lead to many other negative outcomes.”
Screentime’s Scary Side
Type “damaging effects of screen time” into a Google search, and a slew of studies appear revealing at least 21 harmful impacts. They span everything from increased depression to violence-desensitization, isolation to insomnia, chronic neck pain to vision problems, and more.
Ongoing studies by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are among the most troubling, chronicling excessive screen time’s negative effect on child brain development.
The NIH recommends two or fewer hours of daily screen time, or 14 hours weekly, particularly for children under 18. But global research shows the average internet-connected person shatters that suggested ceiling, spending more than 6 ½ hours a day (U.S. 11-to-14-year-olds spend a whopping nine-plus hours) on a screen, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Better Screen Habits in 5 Steps
Capital’s Brennan offers five tips to help us both cut back on screentime and use it more wisely:
- 1. Closely monitor your time online. While being online with others can help our well-being, scrolling passively through social media can expose us to upsetting content. Set limits – and stick to them. Being offline allows us to spend time with family and friends, exercise, and pursue hobbies.
- 2. Connect carefully: Carefully seek digital resources and social media posts grounded in fact to help ensure you are getting accurate information. Choose posts and content that make you feel good, rather than those you know make you anxious or angry.
- 3. Curate your emails: Unsubscribe from emails you never read or use, and delete old emails you don’t need to help create a less stressful inbox.
- 4. Stay offscreen to start and end your day: Don’t increase your risk of distraction from good or bad information when you awake or go to sleep. Try a cup of coffee or a walk in the morning, and a book or gentle programming before bed.
- 5. Heed your mental health: Whether it’s through physical or mental exercises or counseling, be mindful of your mental well-being.
Capital Blue Cross Connect health and wellness centers feature health coaches who can help people increase physical activity and manage stress in ways that help reduce screentime. Capital also offers a VirtualCare telehealth option and can connect members to behavioral health professionals online or by calling 866.322.1657. Some companies, including Capital, offer employee assistance programs that make it easy for employees to access mental health professionals for any issue.
“As with most things, too much digital exposure can potentially have negative effects,” Brennan said. “But if we have a balance and stay mindful about our interactions, we’re more likely to make healthier choices that support our overall health and well-being.”
THINK (Trusted Health Information, News, and Knowledge) is a community publication of Capital Blue Cross. Our mission is to provide education, resources, and news on the latest health and insurance issues.
