Have you ever stopped to think about how much time you or your family spend looking at a screen? From our phones, to our computer, tablets or laptops, screens are everywhere. Mobile devices are part of our daily lives and help us in numerous daily actions: we shop online, we move around thanks to interactive maps or we connect with people who are on the other side of the world.
The digital age has transformed our lives. Many times, its omnipresence, when it crosses limits, can have consequences on our health. And we Spaniards are not short. According to the conclusions of a study from Electronics Hub, which determines how the digital age has impacted users in 45 developed countries, in Spain we spend 35% of our daily time in front of the screen, which translates into five hours and forty-five minutes a day. Excessive time that can take its toll on us in different ways.
And, used respectfully and with control, screens are not harmful. But when these interfere with our basic physiological functions, they can end up triggering negative effects on physical and mental health.
The effect of screens on our health (if they are not used well)
The world of screens is a complex interaction of psychological, social and technological factors. From providing us a window into the world of information and entertainment to fostering social connections, the digital age has transformed the way we experience life. But, like everything, excessive consumption is dangerous, although that does not mean that the device itself is. The way we use it is what defines the risk—or not.
As recognized by Doctor Enrique Baca, head of the Department of Psychiatry of the Jiménez Díaz Foundation University Hospital and professor of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Madrid, “screens are not intrinsically bad; The harmful thing is to use them incorrectly,” to which he adds that “we use them worse and worse.”
While the benefits are obvious, balancing screen time and other important activities is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Because excessive use, that is, when it escapes the person’s control, “affects education – it has an impact on aspects such as memory or school performance -, emotional health – self-esteem or intolerance of frustration -, the family environment —lack of connection with the environment—and the individual in society—makes social relationships difficult—”, warns Marc Masip, psychologist, expert in addiction to new technologies and founder of Desconnect.
But they are not the only problems. For Doctor Baca, other physiological consequences should be added, such as sleep problems or eating disorders, and mental consequences, attention problems and the promotion of bullying patterns and suicidal or self-harming behaviors.
This study determines that spending more than six hours a day looking at screens has a higher risk of depression, while limiting social media use to 30 minutes a day leads to a significant improvement in well-being. Controlling time also leads us to add time to carry out other activities, such as sports or interacting with other people.
Limits, education and example: the keys to using screens correctly
For Baca, we must use screens “in a respectful manner with those around us – if we are accompanied, we should not look at them –, without interfering with our basic physiological functions (sleeping, eating and interacting) and, in the case of children, with supervision.”
Prevention, as in many other areas, is key. And this translates into different solutions depending on age. In the case of children, supervision and establishing rules of use are essential; they are “necessary and positive measures at these ages,” emphasizes Baca. The goal should be to get closer to what recommends the World Health Organization (WHO), according to which a child under two years old should not spend even a minute in front of a screen; a child from two to four years old – no more than one hour a day; and, up to 17 years of age, a maximum of two hours.
What happens with teenagers? In this case, education is the basis for reaching a solution. Some avenues pointed out by Masip, although they may cause some controversy, would involve negotiating with young people, with consequences and punishments that are related to the prohibition of screens, or with rewards that are analogical, but not without establishing standards of conduct in the family environment. .
For the expert, establishing a minimum age for the first mobile device is “as necessary as the socially accepted age for driving, smoking or drinking alcohol, although it is more difficult for parents to set.”
What role do adults have in all this? Setting an example is the key to educating in reasonable use of screens, and this translates into actions as simple as keeping the cell phone at home so that we are not connected all the time and can enjoy the rest of the family. As Masip concludes, “no matter how many screens, technologies and artificial intelligences, a look or a hug will continue to be irreplaceable; and the human being will always be more powerful.”
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