Americans Use These Tools to Limit Their Screen Time
By Movieguide® Contributor
While screen addiction continues to plague smartphone users, Americans want to decrease their screen time and are setting up personal boundaries to do so.
Deloitte’s 2023 Connected Consumer survey found, “consumers aged 18 to 40 in particular are concerned about the consequences of their device usage, both on their physical and emotional well-being.”
“The survey finds that 53 percent of Americans in that age group struggle to limit their screen time to a comfortable level, while 51 and 47 percent worry that their device usage could negatively impact their physical or emotional health, respectively,” Statista reported.
Because of these negative effects, 80% of smartphone users have set personal boundaries to limit technology usage.
“These measures range from taking regular breaks from devices or screens to actually restricting app or web usage,” Statista added.
Other practices include putting devices away when around family and friends, turning off notifications, setting phones on do not disturb, setting up screen time limits and tracking time spent on various apps.
What effects of screen time are causing so many users to rethink their approach to technology?
“The intersection of sleep, mental health, and screen time is a critical issue parents need to be aware of,” said Carol Ruddell with the DHHS Office of Substance Use and Mental Health in a news release.
“When kids aren’t getting the sleep their bodies and brains need, they are at a greater risk of not only mental health problems but academic struggles too. Increased screen time can lead to social isolation which can also make mental health problems worse,” she added.
Movieguide® also reported a “strong correlation between screen time and levels of depression and anxiety. The risk for depression and anxiety caused by high screen time was further enhanced based on levels of physical activity and age – younger children were more affected.”
Other damaging effects for children include behavioral problems, obesity and broken family relationships.
“In a 2015 survey by AVG Technologies, one-third of children reported feeling unimportant when their parents looked at their smartphones during meals or when playing together,” VeryWell Family reported.
Movieguide® previously reported that infant screen time disrupts development:
A new study found a link between a baby’s screen time and delayed development in communication, fine motor skills and problem-solving.
Japanese researchers studied 7,000 babies that were 1 year old to better understand how a baby’s screen time affects their brain’s development.
“The more screen time these babies had at 1 year of age, the worse their developmental milestones were at 2 years of age, particularly in the realm of communication,” ABC News’ chief health and medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton told Good Morning America. “Some of those developmental issues, like fine and gross motor skills and problem-solving skills, may have shown a ding at age 2 but then kind of compensated and recovered by age four.”
