Excess screen time a day does not keep the doctor away
By Sakura Amano, Staff Writer
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the nation and stay-at-home orders were issued almost everywhere, dependency on technology as a whole increased significantly. For most, the largest adjustment was the switch to online learning, as we went from working in classrooms full of life to seeing turned off cameras/mics through a cold, distant screen day after day. Now, the robotic routine of sitting through Zoom calls only to later do homework online or scroll through social media has become all too familiar for students throughout the nation. Online learning is both detrimental and dangerous as it exposes us to too much screen time.
Growing up, we’ve inevitably all heard from doctors or parents the importance of limiting screen time. In fact, according to the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, the recommended amount of screen time per day for teenagers is a mere two hours. However, with our current situation, this limit is impossible to achieve; instruction, homework and entertainment are all online while we stay indoors. This exposure caused by online learning can affect not only a student’s physical health, but mental/emotional health as well.
“I feel drained after school everyday from the hours spent looking at my computer. I start to get headaches and honestly don’t feel motivated to do much else,” Egan Waktole (’23) said.
While school can already be hard on a student’s mental health, the added effects of online learning can make it unbearable. Research shows that children who are exposed to excess amounts of screen time are more susceptible to mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Many of us can likely relate to the feeling of being easily irritated and having slower brain function after spending long periods of time online. Even sleep, which is extremely important in maintaining good mental health, is affected, as the blue light emitted from screens suppresses melatonin in the body, a sleep promoting hormone.
In terms of physical health, the negative impacts of screen time form an ongoing list. For one, studies show that spending excess amounts of time in front of a screen can be directly linked to obesity, which is associated with some of the leading causes of death in the United States: heart disease and diabetes. Secondly, looking at a screen for extended periods of time can cause what is known as “computer vision syndrome,” with symptoms including headaches, strained eyes and blurred vision. Additionally, we’ve likely all felt the effects on our bodies of sitting at a desk all day, which can often lead to long term problems such as chronic neck, shoulder and back pain. As many Samo students are continuing to pursue athletics during this time, the toll overexposure to screens can have on physical well-being/ability is particularly harmful. Spending more time online can directly impact an athletes performance in practices and leave the student feeling groggy or unable to concentrate. Luckily, many educators are understanding of this issue and Samo teachers have been highly encouraged to limit the amount of online work they assign.
“I said to the staff, ‘these students have three classes in a given day. If each one of you gave another hour of work after those three classes, look how long that day is that they're looking at something online.’ I asked them last week to chill out with some of that. I told them, ‘if they’re unhappy, then the students are unhappy’,” Principal Antonio Shelton said.
All in all, online learning exposes students to a harmful amount of screen time. While it may not seem to be a crucial issue, for many students, these consequences make it extremely difficult to stay on track, resulting in poor performance in school as well as other aspects of life. As our generation has already grown up surrounded by unthinkable amounts of technology and social media, I worry that we grow increasingly dependent on our devices and stray further away from true human connection each day. Watching our school, a place once swarming with social interaction ultimately be shoved into a computer screen, I wonder what else in our lives may soon be replaced by the metal box sitting at our desks.
