I needed a major digital detox. So I did it, and soon, I was feeling better than I had in a long time.
Uh, well, that was short-lived!
Before I knew it, the pandemic and shutdown hit. When that happened, confusion, misinformation and political debates became the norm in my world.
My digital detox? Eh, I threw that to the wind. I yearned to understand what was happening with this pandemic, how to deal with a volatile stock market and how to teach in an online only format.
Digital detox? You got to be kidding me. The world faced so much uncertainty and confusion that worrying about too much screen time was a joke.
Maybe it's a good sign that Covid-19 numbers are trending down because here I am again, pondering a digital detox. One year ago, I curbed my phone usage to two hours a day, and I was cool with what I was doing — Spotify, reading, talking or texting.
Then, I asked my students how much screen time they averaged per day and if they were OK with it. The answers were all over the map, but my main takeaway was that many were cool with 8-10 hours a day on their phone. I felt that was overboard, but now with one year of online only school gone, where are we?
So let me ask students this: Hey, help Gen X parents figure this out. Should we be worried about your screen time, or should we just let it go? Should you be worried about your screen time, or is it a non-issue?
These are some questions I've been pondering, and my conclusion is: "I'll take the world, thank you." If younger generations are going to live more digitally than in what I perceive as the actual, real world, so be it. That's more world for this Gen Xer, or "Boomer" if you will.
I've been listening to Podcasts with interviews of billionaires. Honestly, I don't like these billionaires. No matter how reasonable Bill Gates or Mark Cuban might sound, they remain at the top of an economic system that is ridiculous. Yeah, I don't see major change coming with this billionaire system in my lifetime, and I know I have to accept it. But I don't believe we should laud Gates or Cuban as our world's most insightful scholars, and it appears that often occurs.
Isn't all of this screen time just us being manipulated by Big Tech? Have we traded our flesh and blood experiences to level up on whatever we're doing online?
The good news is that I've also listened to this Elon Musk, and it seems obvious to me that this guy is a dweeb. He should go to Mars; he'd be a good fit there. I guess he's the Andy Warhol of the day, but unlike Warhol, Musk is the opposite of cool. Good luck with your rocket ships, dude!
Let's get back to screen time. The way I see it is that this capitalistic system is so powerful and cruel that it has taken over the globe now. Yes, it's been that way for a while.
Isn't it enough for the system to take our money? Now, it's got to take our data and our time and create new money called cryptocurrency. Really? Isn't this going too far? Well, for this "Boomer" it is. I need a digital detox. I'm going outside to work on my short game and tend the Zen garden.
Screen time has taken up a huge chunk of my day and I need to change that. I average between 2 to 4 hours each day on my phone and ipad.
ReplyDeleteI feel like we definitely are spending too much time on screens, but we can't really help it since school is all online. At the end of the day when we want to relax, there's Netflix. It's just the way our society is and I think we do need to be aware of it. However, when parents nag us about it, it gets bothersome because it's very hard to have less screen time in the circumstances of today.
ReplyDeleteI hear you. It's kind of wild that we spent the whole school day online and then we "unwind" with screen time. I wonder if we're actually really unwinding.
DeleteI think my screen time is a a lot.
ReplyDeleteYes, we should be worried about our screen time since we do school online for six hours. Then we have to do our homework online for another 2 hours or so. After all that screen time we still use our devices to watch after. We use our screens all day, which to me is a concern.
ReplyDeleteThanks for breaking the ice and being the first comment! That usage doesn't sound too much, and I have this feeling of wanting to get away from my screens too.
ReplyDeletei think my screen time is high but mostly because on virtual school
ReplyDeleteNo, I feel like parents don't have to worry as long as it's not distracting them from important things in their life. But aside from that, If it's not distracting there isn't a probelem.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling some parents nag too much about screen time. It's ironic if they too are on their screens a lot.
Deletemy screen time is high, but i am trying to work on it by finding other hobbies.
ReplyDeleteI think that most parents that worry about too much screen time don't need to worry that much. A lot of kids enjoy going on their phones, gaming devices, or computers because there's a lot of things to do. It normally isn't hurting anyone, so I don't see the reason why parents are so mad whenever a child is on their device. The only real problem I see due to devices, besides cyber bullying, is taking time away from your family. Which can be a huge and very regretful action, especially later in your life.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to understand this side of the debate better. I believe that health could be a concern. Sometimes, the screens take away from exercise and connecting with others and nature.
Deletemy screen time is a lot bc most of the time i am talking to my friends on my phone
ReplyDeleteI do believe that I spend too much time on screens, especially recently. However, it is difficult to reduce screen time as school/homework is all online. I have been trying to reduce the amount of screentime I use for my own entertainment, but it is also difficult to do this, as I do not have many other options to keep myself entertained at home.
ReplyDeleteParents should be worried about our screen time, but they shouldn't take control over it. As teenagers, we like to do things on our own. It'd be easier to lessen it if WE genuinely wanted to. Not just our parents. I'm pretty worried about my own screen time. Before covid, I spent hours and hours on a screen per day, so it doesn't help that school is through a screen too. All the time adds up. It feels like my whole life is on a screen by now.
ReplyDeleteI'm older, so I do a lot of things without screens. However, I notice that a lot of Gen Z kids may be OK with spending nearly all of their hours online. That doesn't seem like a well-balanced life to me.
DeleteI feel like parents shouldn't be worried about our screen time but we, as teenagers, should. Between school, homework, and doing what we want, our screen times can be tremendous amounts. But, we should be able to control ourselves and limit our screen time if necessary. I do feel like that depends on the person though. Personally, I believe that parents should also worry about their own screen time.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we should be conscious of our screen time, it isn't the biggest issue at the moment. Especially during the pandemic and online school, we should be more focused on our mental health than anything else. If screen time is what makes you happy, than you should be able to spend time on a screen for as long as you want (for the time being). In the future, when the world is doing better and when there is less to worry about, we should definitely be more cautious of our screen time. But in the current moment, it isn't the most pressing issue. As for parents, it gets very bothersome when they nag us about our screen time. Especially when most kids use it to relax and keep themselves in a better mindset. Most kids are already aware of their screen time, so having another person press it on us is very annoying.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the thoughtful comment. I believe some screen time functions as relaxation. However, I am worried that when we overdo it, which is often, that it adds to potential mental health issues.
DeleteI feel like I should definitely be worried but honestly its the only thing making me happy right now. My mom is very strict so I havent seen my friends and almost a year and I cannot go anywhere, not even to the store. My phone is the only way I can have any connection with the outside world. Most of my screen time is listening to music anyways because its the best escape from reality.
ReplyDeleteWell, the good news is that the Covid numbers are trending down, and I am hopeful it will continue that way. I am worried, though, that we've lost of important real-world connections during this time.
DeleteI believe that teenagers should take responsibility for their own screen time. Parents should be worried to an extent, but being over controlling is also a problem. However, a lot of teenagers average 8 hours of screentime a day. So imagine how damaged our eyes would be when we get older. Screentime is definitely something that us, teenagers should work on.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if unintended consequences of online only school will be health issues.
Deletethis is the same person, but I wanted to add on by saying a lot of teenagers use their phones as an escape. For example, some teens use it to communicate with friends to talk about things going on, or a way to distract them. This is another reason why teens should be in control of their own screen time rather than their parents.
DeleteI'm really bad when it comes to screen time. I think its because whenever I am doing something I have my phone or my iPad running in the background. For example say I am using my punching bag I would normally just have my iPad running some YouTube videos on the side. Even when I'm on my computer playing video games I will have my iPad on the side playing YouTube videos.
ReplyDeleteI do believe we should be conscious of our screen time, but a lot of people including myself use it as a way to wind down or take a break from everything going on in the world right now. I do agree that it can be distracting and hurtful at times, but I think parents should be more understanding of our circumstances, and not continuously nag us for being on our devices too long. They should be more concerned for the happiness and mental health of their child.
ReplyDeletescreen time should be kept to a minimum. there are so many other great and heathy activity's. every one should spend at least an hour outside. You can go on a walk go to the park. Do something in your back or Front yard getting your vitimin d is very important especially during a pandemic. also the pandemic is not an exuse to not go outside there are plenty of safe ways to spend time outside. make sure if you have a dog that you are walking them daily it is cruel not to. walking your dog daily is a great habit to start. It will keep you and your dog heathy and happy. The best way to relive stress is to go outside. I give anyone who reads this a chalenge to spend more time outside!
ReplyDeleteTo me, when I go outside I feel much better. I am worried about students who don't go outside. Isn't that unhealthy?
Deletethis is Samuel bye the way (my reply)
Deletemy screen time is over 6 hours mostly due to homework/school and social media. My phone battery used to last me all day but since I am using it all day to ask questions , check social media,and call now my battery would be 10% at 4 o'clock. I have been trying to reduce it but being on your phone or computer or any device is a little escape from the boredom of being home all day.
ReplyDeleteI think we spend so much of our time on screens that it became the norm for day to day life. We don't see it as a problem but as good thing. I feel like this is how robots will take over the world because we depend on technology so much we probably won't stand a chance if the robots went rogue because we are too dependent to do anything by ourselves. Also it helps if we take a break every hour and just go outside and talk to people.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe that I do spend too much time on technology. I'd say that I spend about 4-6 hours a day on the screen. These hours will take a toll on my physical health, since they really tire me out. However, I think I spend most of that time on the screen everyday doing something for school. So when school comes into play, I believe that I am not wasting that much time with technology, since I am doing something productive.
ReplyDeleteParents should be aware of their children's screen time. Now that schooling is done from home, it gives another excuse to keep your eyes on the screen. If my screen time is particularly high, it makes me feel somewhat guilty. I could have done so much more with the time spent scrolling on social media or watching videos, shows, and movies for entertainment. I think parents should suggest their children to find an offline source of entertainment, but not force them to.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds completely reasonable. One problem I see is that parents have a hard time suggesting other forms of entertainment. Instead, some just "nag" the kids.
DeleteAlthough people of the younger generation have a lot of screen time, I think some adults may have just the same amount. My parents work office jobs, and technology is essential to both of their jobs. I feel like ergonomics wouldn't be that important if employees weren't working so much at a desk with a computer. As for students, I feel like we can't help but have a lot of screen time. Even when we were in school, we'd use computers or look at a TV for notes. On top of that, we use devices for homework, research, writing essays, and more. Some may see it as an issue, but I just think it's something that can't be helped.
ReplyDeleteI tend to think it can be a generational issue, but maybe not necessarily. Some adults seem worried about their children's screen time, but then not their own.
DeleteI think that with the introduction of so much time home and without face to face interaction, many kids resort to electronics in order to interact with their friends. In my opinion I definitely spend much more time online than before and sometimes restricting the amount of time I spend online is necessary, but understanding that kids are only allowed to be social online in this pandemic is also necessary.
ReplyDeleteScreen time honestly shouldn't be a big issue. Sometimes being on your phone or computer you are doing it in order to just be able to relax or just enjoy time if you are stressed out. There could be a case of too much screen time in which you are on your screen more than getting actual sleep in which yes there could be a case for that but sometimes it's because students may be doing work. I just wanna listen to music honestly whenever I have free time.
ReplyDeleteI hear you. But I am worried about overdoing it when going to the phone is no longer actually relaxing and just a habit.
DeleteI don't necessarily think parents should be worried about our screen time because, most of our social interaction right now comes from our screens so I think it's important to let us have that. But on the flip side I do believe we should worry about our own screen times and realize when it's enough and we should put our phone down. I think in all being too attached to screens can impede your day to day life so it's a good idea to find a healthy balance. And I also do agree that taking a break or detox from screens once in a while is very important.
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel as if my screen time is something that I should be greatly worried about. Since I mainly am on my laptop since the morning and throughout the entire day, my guess is that my screen time ranges 12-14 hours per day. This is scary. I have never really thought of my time like that but when put into perspective, its almost like an addiction. My parents don't say much as they are busy themselves and just leave us alone since they think it's okay for us to be like this, since every aspect of our lives has been orientated towards online now. It's rather scary knowing that you put so much time on your screen and even if you are aware and want to get out, there is virtually nothing else to do since you have isolated yourself from everything. I had less screen time before the pandemic as school offered an excuse to not be on my phone all day and interact with others, but in today's landscape, this is not the case anymore.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughtful comment. I believe many are unaware of their screen time, and the first step with improving our lives may be simple awareness of what we are doing.
DeleteI worry about my screen time because I'm literally on my phone for an average of 6 hours a day, watching YouTube videos and doing nothing productive at all. I believe that students, adults, kids, and everyone should start look onto their screen time and see where they spend most of their time at because if you're doing something productive with that screen time I think it's fine however if it's spent scrolling through Instagram and watching Netflix then something should be fixed. It's almost like an addiction for some and it's weird because I go to watch YouTube subconsciously, which is very scary and I fear that if I keep this up longer, I'll be like an alcoholics who dependent on drinking alcohol and can't stop.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of time I spend on technology is very unhealthy. I spend hours on social media and youtube just watching dumb videos to entertain myself. I also end up procrastinating on work...
ReplyDeleteI think that parents should be aware of their children's screen time. School has now been online for almost a year now, and a lot of students have been spending way too much time on their laptops and not enough outside, which can be extremely damaging for their mental health. I think it is important for parents to realize that children are more likely to be on their phones because they have no one to talk to or nothing to do. So as parents, they should spend ACTUALLY time with them and doing something that is fun and safe.
ReplyDeleteI am all for tech's benefits. But we need actual human connection, too. Right? And also we need to connect with nature as well. Right?
DeleteWith the pandemic forcing ourselves into isolation, my screen time has increased from an average of 6hrs to 8hrs. To a certain extent, it is important to limit our screen usage and instead engage ourselves in a productive mental or physical activity. Not only does this benefit our physical health, it also encourages many of us mentally and emotionally as well. However, I discourage parents from forcing restrictions upon their children. Restrictions can cause the breaking of trust and internal problems between family members. Therefore, parents should instead encourage kids to participate in different activities or suggest various offline source of entertainment.
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone should make sure to limit their screen time, because we tend to spend hours just staring at our devices. I find that when I go on my phone, a long period of time goes by really fast, making me regret it after as I could have done much more productive things instead. I feel that many people waste valuable time that they could have spent doing homework, studying, completing chores, or exercising for the time spent on technology. I would probably consider only going on the phone after all the things you need to do are completed.
ReplyDeleteScreen time isn't that big of an issue. The real issue is what they are watching during their free time. This is because most stuff on instagram, tiktok, or other apps have are generally mind numbing and provide no use for people. So this causes people to be addicted to social media without even realizing it, which is unhealthy for the kids and parents should be concerned. This causes a big chain reaction of staying indoors all say which can lead to mental and physical health problems. Overall parents should be concerned if their kids are doing nothing but staying inside and being on their phones all day, then that is a concern. If they are going outside and exercising then it shouldn't be a big deal.
ReplyDeleteHaving screen time is inevitable in this day and age. Parents should be more aware of their kid's screen time but completely limiting it is not a good thing. They should let their kids get 1-2 hours of free time with their electronics if they do something productive or help you with chores. To kids, screen time is like a reward and a way to relax. Mindlessly scrolling is a easy way to distract yourself from all the problems you might be facing, which is why teens tend to reach for their phones. I have a pretty good relationship with my screen time. My trick is by not bringing my phone everywhere I go. If I go downstairs, I leave my phone in my room because I know that I'm not going to go out of my way to get my phone. That leaves the problem of not replying immediately when someone texts you. I am notoriously known for not responding to people because I never have my phone. I also hate wasting my time on my phone as it gives me a sense of guilt. We only have such a limited time on Earth and to be wasting away that precious time by looking at your phone is such a waste. I like to watch Netflix and Youtube but I have to be doing something so it doesn't feel like I am wasting my time. Even though guilt-tripping yourself isn't good, but it works for me!
ReplyDeleteI like the trick of not bringing it everywhere. I used to always look at it when I had a free moment. Why? .. When I don't have it, I can't go to it, and I just relax for a moment.
DeleteUnder the current circumstances I believe we should not be too worried about our screentime. Most of my screen time comes from facetiming, spotify and things that keep me entertained throughout this difficult time. I think that being too attached to screens is a problem but we should not be too concerned about it.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to know and watch our own screen times because it can effect our mental and physical health even though most of us use it as a time to take a break. Now and days it's more than normal to be constantly on our phones or electronics in general because of social media, how easy and fast the internet is when doing school work and because school is now online. My personal screen time average is 6-8 hours which isn't to bad but also not great either. Along with that, with quarantine it has been much harder to resist being on our phones because we have nothing to do/ are restricted from doing much. Overall we should be cautious of our screen times and make sure to get a healthy balance.
ReplyDeleteI say that it's difficult to monitor screen time. See, since you have school in the morning for about 5-6 hours, right there and then, you're already spending a lot of your day on the screen. After school, it's hard to stop watching a screen because your eyes are already so used to to it by now. I have to say that I do have a problem with screens. I love art and reading, but I always need to have music or something playing next to me from MY playlist. I need to be able to see the screen to help me concentrate. I probably spend most of my day on the screen even if I choose to read, write, or paint. Especially since quarantine started, I've been more addicted to keeping a screened object with with me. I think limiting our screen time is a great idea, but with how far we've already gone, I don't know if all the kids of this generation will be able to it.
ReplyDelete-A girl from your second period English Class. :)
I wonder if all of this screen time is accidentally training us to feel awkward in what I see as "the real world."
DeleteI believe that we should be aware of our own screen times, especially if it significantly affects your life negatively. For example, you might be on social media for hours before starting your homework. To add on, you might be in bed scrolling through your phone for hours before you sleep. We should make sure to prioritize what is necessary and important over our phones. We need a balance, and we should spend time with our families and go outside. In my opinion, if your screen time is not affecting your life in a bad way, you shouldn't be worrying about it. Some other ways to pass the time other than using your phone would be to exercise, play a sport, play an instrument, play board games with family, etc.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think that your parents don't need to know our screen time because we are basically going into our teenage years, where we start to be more grown up and have our own things to do. However, if it gets way to out of hand like 10 hours+, then other people should start worrying about your screen time because that is basically a whole day. I also think that it is good for us to know our own screen time so that way we can try to figure out how to decrease the time, as well as trying to compete against yourself for getting a lower screen time.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point. At this point, when you're a teenager, the parent should relinquish control and trust that teens can monitor themselves.
DeleteIn my opinion I think that if there usage on they're phones/devices is over load, say 10 a day, their parents should look into screen time down time. This is also suggested with people who use there phones way to late at night or way to early in the morning not getting the right amount of sleep. :) I have it I don't like it but I need it.
ReplyDeleteYes I think that our screentime is a bit concerning because we are always on a screen. Since were online we are constantly staring at a screen and by the time we get out of school we have to do homework. Again since we're online our homework is typically online so I would ass another few hours to our screentime. Overall I think that our parents and teacher should be aware for our mental and physical health. For myself I think that I should be a bit worried cause my average screentime is like 11-12 hours and to me thats a lot of time. It's really hard to escape the electronics since they are everywhere and because of this I think that we kids and the parents should be mindful about our screentime.
ReplyDeleteScreen time should be the least of our worries. We currently are in a global pandemic and it is almost a tradition at this point to wake up and get on a device such as your computer. School work nowadays requires a lot of screen time. My average for screen time for my phone is about 1 hour 19 minutes. On the other hand my average screen time for my computer is about 10 hours. I'm constantly on my computer for schoolwork and extracurricular activities.
ReplyDeleteMy screen time averages are similar. Not too high on the phone, but wildly high on the computer. ... One tip I've heard is to not be on any devices for the first and last hours of the day.
DeleteI think we should be worried about our screen time because we are spending too much time facing the screens, but during this time I think it is hard to avoid the screens. With school being online and all the homework being assigned online, it is almost impossible to not be on the screens for atleast 5-6 hours.
ReplyDeleteI feel like we shouldn't be worrying about our screen time. The only time you should be worried is when you are constantly on your phone, you don't go outside, and you are basically just in your room all day on your phone. Other than that, parents should just remind us to do our daily habits, and trust us because we can be responsible using our phone. For me, I can still workout daily, and finish my schoolwork while balancing my screen time with it. I have to admit, some days I get lazy because I get intrigued watching a new YouTube video, or I catch myself scrolling through TikTok for hours, but I still manage to get myself out of my bed to go do something productive. We all shouldn't be worried, we just have to be disciplined about our phones.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is important to watch your screen time to make sure you are being productive. I think that it varies depending on your situation. Like my daily average is 7-8 hours on my phone. And honestly that isn't that bad. I mean I am a swimmer who swims everyday for 2 hours or when I have doubles, 4 hours or with dryland 3 or 5. And since Covid we aren't allowed to swim as much so I swim 5 days a week, but on the day we don't have swim I have to run 3 miles. I am still being active so I think that I deserve the screen time because if not then my schedule would be school, eat, swim, sleep, and repeat. I need some downtime you know? The only thing I should really watch is the fact that I go to bed really late, or should I say early, since I go to bed around 2 in the morning because I am on my phone. But I don't think it is anything to be worried about since I take a nap after school.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if part of the reason so many people are having difficulties with their sleep patterns is all of this screen time.
DeleteI feel like I should be concerned about my screen time, it is the only thing that is bringing joy to me. My parents are strict so they do not let me go out and see anybody unless it is our immediate family. Having my phone is the only way I can talk, see, and keep my connections to all of my friends and other family members.
ReplyDeleteDuring these circumstances, with online school, I feel that it is good to get a break from our screens. Taking a break from our screens can help with our mental health. By also being off our screens, we can accomplish more things throughout the day. I personally have a hard time getting off my phone and it takes majority out of my day. With the pandemic, it is hard for me to get off. So I feel that we should limit our screen time so that we can have more of a balance in our lives between our screens and lives off the phone.
ReplyDeleteI feel like parents shouldn't need to know what our screen time unless we have gone overboard and have 10 plus hours. Parents should care enough to see if their children are on their devices too much and can limit them. With the pandemic going on it may be reasonable to have a larger amount of screen time, but you can find more creative and safe activities to do.
ReplyDeleteThe tricky question to me is at what age of the child should parents trust that their kid can monitor their own screen time. Youngsters likely have a hard time doing that.
DeleteOur screen time is a little concerning in my opinion. But in this situation it isn't always something we can adjust. During the pandemic we now do all of our work and classes online so of course our screen time would be higher than usually. But when people are done with school and work online during their free time they go back online to go on their phone or play video games. So I think people should at least monitor or keep track of their screen time so they know how much time they are spending looking at a screen. Then maybe that will encourage them to do outside activities instead.
ReplyDeleteI feel like anything is controllable, sure watching a show or playing a video game can be a day's relief. I can also use the same time to maybe go read a book, play some board games with family, or just go outside to watch the stars. It's even better at night time and I usually always sit outside at 10:30. I have this app called star walk which is free, you can see constellations and stuff with the free version and it is good enough. You get the point, there are way too many things to do and we can't make an excuse for screen time.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of screen time accumulated in the pandemic especially because of online school is above average for sure. I do see it as an issue and that parents should be worried if it does go more than usual, but have to stay open minded. Kids screen time is not mindlessly scrolling 24/7, but may be their only input of social interaction with their friends that they haven't seen in months. Of course it seems strange that the parents hear the screen time and laughing through the computer so much, but it would be understandable because it is as if we are hanging out with our friends but our parents can hear us, so it feels unusual for them. I feel like there is a balance and as long as they stay on top of their responsibilities that there shouldn't be a huge issue. In my opinion, I am at times concerned with my screen time when it is consisted of hours upon hours on tik tok scrolling through videos while taking a fat crap. So yea.
ReplyDeleteDuring this time where a student has to be in front of a screen just to attend class, I believe that people/kids should have (not a limited amount of screen time) some time away from there screens. Although there is no real evidence that a screen can damage your eyes, you should always be looking out for any chance to take some time for yourself.
ReplyDeleteFor me, screen time is an issue. The pandemic is not really something I worry about a lot, since I stay home often, but i still worry about it here and there. I spend roughly 8 hours per day on my laptop just for school stuff. Going to class sessions, and doing homework. I then go on my phone for around 3-4 hours either texting, calling my friends, or watching YouTube. Roughly 12-14 hours of my day is on screens, and I'm trying to degrade it. Before the pandemic, I used to go on screens around 2-3 hours per day. I guess i've been going on screens a lot, to keep myself entertained because i ran out of things to do during summer. It especially doesn't help that more than half of my screen time is being used for school. I have even gotten eye bags and dark circles around my eyes for being on screens for so long. I'm really trying to fix it, but it's hard because screen time is now necessary for scool.
ReplyDeleteOh wow. High schoolers with eye bags and dark circles. This is not good.
DeleteI don't think screen time is an issue for me, but I definitely don't think it should be anyone else's issue either. How much time I spend on a screen is what I decide based on what I need to do, and having someone interfere with that can be problematic. Especially in this pandemic, everything is online, so even if they did cut screen time, there's not much anyone can do.
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty I am concerned about my own screen time. Yes, screen time is fun and it gives you something to do when you are bored but over time it just makes you lazy and less energetic. I stay on my phone for most of the day because I have to edit videos(and thats a whole process) and it tires me out but since I always want to get them done I often find myself up at 2am. If I ever finish early I always find myself asking,"What did I even do today?" This is why I am worried about our screen time and I do feel that it should be cut back so it doesn't hurt health mentally and physically.
ReplyDeleteAs much as a break from the screen is needed for most students, our circumstances with online school and staying at home make this almost impossible. A full day of school on a computer and resorting to our phones to pass time make large amounts of screen time almost unavoidable at this point. Since scrolling through phones or watching TV at least keeps our mind off of things amidst the pandemic, the hours of screen time is an inevitable issue that simply should be let go.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people argue that screen time keeps us up or distracts us from getting more sleep. I agree with this, but I think it may be a largely induced by revenge bedtime procrastination. Since so many students are stressed with online school and the amount of homework or studying that they may have, on top of nonacademic responsibilities, they may be using their devices as an attempt to regain control of their free time. Personally, I have had access to devices for nearly my entire life. I never thought that I was "addicted" or spent absurd periods of time on my phone or anything else until the pandemic. It may have spurred out of boredom, but my screen time would reach nearly 18 hours a day. To be fair, I would be listening to music or calling friends for most of that time, but it pushed me to make Sundays a day for no screen time and just myself. Spending too much time on entertainment-based content may be altering our attention spans, though. With the constant stimulation from exciting and ever-changing content that we see on apps like Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube, etc., I do get slightly worried that we are changing our attention spans to prefer more absurd reactions to keep our attention for a short amount of time. Since there are no huge studies that have been conducted definitively saying screen time is "bad" or "good," I think it would be a good idea to take a day away from all devices, even for just a day each month.
ReplyDelete"Revenge bedtime procrastination." I've never heard that phrase. Strangely, it makes sense if students are constantly assigned too much stuff without a lot of meaning.
DeleteAt this point and time everyone is required to use screens/technology either for work ,school, and other simple things such as ordering groceries. Therefore a digital detox wouldn't make much sense because everyone is relying on technology so much in their everyday lives. However since technology is needed to much for school and work you can use cooking, reading, or talking to the family inside your covid bubble as an activity that doesn't require technology. Overall now that screens have become such a main part in everyday lives around the world we can use time normally spent on tik tok and watch netflix as a break from technology.
ReplyDeleteI believe the digital detox would only make sense when it comes to our "unwinding time." I am no so sure a lot of what we do to "unwind" is actually unwinding.
DeleteHey all, too much screen time here. I'm really disappointed on how much time I spend on my laptop, however, it's essential for me at least. As a person who's involved in lots of things, I have to stay on the laptop for a very long time to 1. Study, 2. Communicate with the Team, and 3. Keep the Last of my Friends. Very rarely, I use technology to watch shows, play games, or use social media. So overall, I think that as long as you're able to stay on topic while not procrastinating. I know many people who constantly procrastinate and look at their social media pages and watching lots of youtube, so in that case I believe that we should monitor our own screen time. For those who are able to stay focused, they won't be needing as much.
ReplyDeleteShawn?!?!?! Thank you for your thoughts! ... I believe if you rarely use it for shows, games and social media, that's got to be positive. Good for you on that part!
DeleteI predict that it'll be a tobbacco situation. What I mean is the internet is relatively new. Maybe we will all develop eye problems. Maybe the radiation will give us cancer. Oh, and also we are affected by whatever memes and insta and facebook tell us. He who controls the memes, controls it all -Elon Musk. We won't know until like 20 years later, maybe. Obviously, it depends on how you use your screens. But most often we aren't using it as a force for good. So I think the internet and screen time is almost always a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteMy tablet shows a weekly screen time report, and you can only guess it as risen up quite a bit in percentages. Yeah, I think I need to find more things to do. I like to draw, but the main problem is I draw digitally, so my only other hobby other than video games also requires screen time. Oh well...
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I do think that my screen time is an issue. From the moment I wake to the last thing I do before sleep, I am always on some sort of device. I usually watch way too many shows or movies rather than being on social media platforms. However, I don't feel that it's too big of an issue as long as I do all of my homework and other priorities.
ReplyDeleteHonestly I think I have way to much screen time. On my phone it tells me yesterday I was on it for almost 11 hours, but that isn't even including my computer. I think virtual school is another reason why my screen time is so high. Being bored also plays a huge roll in my screen time because I'm just scrolling on apps looking for things to watch or play. So basically this pandemic is why I'm on my devices so much. Yeah lets blame it on that. ;)
ReplyDeleteI would say I am very much addicted to my screens/technology. I spend roughtly 24 hours of my day on my phone. I do not get any sleep. I sleep when I feel like it but I am very much active and I work perfectly. Even when I am asleep I have a lot going on. I either listen to some Music on my tv to make me go to sleep or I listen to some ASMR to make me go to sleep. Even right now during class I haven't gotten any sleep for the past 3 ish days. I feel like technology does affect us more now since we are in quarantine. For me and many other I can handle the being on my phone and awake days on end without any side effects. Technology contributes to me not sleeping because I always an on my phone 24/7 no matter what. I have friends all over the world from Europe, all the way to asia. And I really like talking to them so I dont sleep so i can talk to them using my phone.
ReplyDeleteI think my generation has a hard time wrapping our heads around the idea that you can have friends that you haven't met in person. But I would call those "online friends."
DeleteI do admit that the time I've spent on my laptop has significantly increased. With school work, club meetings, and school everything has become a hassle. However, I do find myself relieved to take a break from screen time. It's nice to explore different hobbies and venture outside from time to time. By doing so, I could embrace the moments I spend with my family and friends. Working digitally does come with benefits, if you prioritize your responsibilities. It's also important to manage your time to prevent future bad habits (procrastination).
ReplyDeleteI think that we should limit our screen time, but I wouldn't want to. Obviously I know that it is an issue that we spend way to much time on our devices, but I would probably never willingly give it up.
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