Digital Wellness Starts with Awareness

The Benefits of Limiting Screen Time

HEALTH IS WEALTH SERIES

Friday, March 21, 2025

The end of World War II jumpstarted a revolution in communication, computational power, and consumer electronics. This technological development has grown exponentially over the past 75 years, giving us the fast paced and efficient world we live in today. While our modern world has become unquestionably more convenient as a result, there are also significant drawbacks to these modern technologies that we are just beginning to understand. Today I want to shine a spotlight on the amount of time someone spends looking at a screen during the day (AKA screen time), and what effects it might have on your health and wellness. 

Statistics regarding average screen time vary between sources. On the low end, it is estimated that the average American spends over 5 hours per day looking at screens (per Harmony Healthcare IT), while the high end estimates screen time around 7 hours per day (per DataReportal’s Digital 2024 Global Overview Report). I don’t know about you but that seems like a substantial amount of time spent looking at screens, even on the low end. This phenomenon is fairly recent. As reported by NBC affiliate WCNC Charlotte, a new report shows that since 2020, the average screen time for American adults increased by over 60%.

 

Technology has unquestionably made our modern world so much more convenient and productive. So what’s the issue with screen time? Substantial volumes of screen time can have a number of effects on your health. The two most prominent effects are the disruption of your sleep, and the negative effect on your mental wellbeing. And that’s just when looking at adults. When looking at prepubescent children, increased screen time has been linked to developmental delays and trouble socializing. 

...It's about understanding how technology affects us physically, mentally, and emotionally, and making intentional choices to foster a healthy relationship with it.

 

First let's talk about sleep. Our bodies were made to function best with the natural cycles of light. The sun rises and it's bright out. That light produces chemicals in our bodies to wake us up and keep us alert. When the sun goes down and the light disappears, our bodies produce melatonin making us sleepy. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate our sleep-cycle. The blue light created by screens can disrupt these natural cycles, confusing our brains and inhibiting the natural production of melatonin. This not only means less sleep, but lower quality sleep. Remember, good sleep is a cornerstone of good health (for more information, see my blog post from September of 2024: The Critical Role Sleep Plays in Our Well-being).

 

Next, let's look at how screen time can affect your mental health. Neurologist Jesse Mindel at Ohio State University wrote in a 2023 article “Whether at night or during the day, using screens for long periods has been associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders in adults and children. In one study, children who used screens for seven hours a day were twice as likely to develop anxiety or depression than children who used screens for an hour or less a day.”

We need to create a culture of digital mindfulness, where we consciously choose how we engage with technology rather than letting it dictate our lives.

 

For most people, getting rid of their laptop or smartphone isn’t an option. So, what can you do? Cleaning up your habits when it comes to using your devices can significantly help to offset some of the negative effects. Most people look at their phones right before they sleep, and again right when they wake up. It is widely recommended to not look at a screen for between 30 and 60 minutes before you go to sleep. This can help minimize the disruption to melatonin production, helping you to get higher quality sleep. Next, if you are having trouble decreasing your screen time on your phone, turning off notifications on apps can help.

Lastly, finding alternatives to mindless scrolling during your downtime can help tremendously. Pretty much any activity that doesn’t involve sitting in place and looking at a screen will help. Reading, taking your dog for a walk, working in your garden, etc. I find it helpful to think of your activities the same way you think about your diet. Just like sweets, a little screen time is ok, but a diet consisting largely of it is unhealthy. 

 

To good health!

 

L.G. Pannell, NYC

Director of Health Is Wealth Initiative

(The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.  All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results.  All indices are unmanaged and may not be invested into directly.)