Pictured Above: Students may look like zombies after hours upon hours in front of the screen.
Sophie Ojdanic | The Crow’s Nest
By Annalise Anderson
There was once an era when “screen time” meant how many minutes were spent in front of a television or a Gateway PC monitor. Now, the evolved term construes the number of hours spent staring at smartphones, tablets and laptops that weigh less than a diskette of floppy disks.
Studies show that excessive screen time can have adverse effects on one’s mental, physical and emotional health; some have even deemed it a public health concern.
The college experience has been reshaped by coronavirus stipulations forcing students even closer to their LED displays.
William Anamuah-Mensah, a sophomore chemistry major at USF Tampa, has experienced some of the drawbacks screen time can have on students.
“I think screen time has had a negative effect on my mental health,” Anamuah-Mensah said.
“I noticed that the time spent doing schoolwork on my computer affects me differently than the time spent scrolling through memes on Reddit; it depends really. Generally, the more time I spend on my phone, the less focus I have to do important things like doing homework and studying for exams.”
Anamuah-Mensah also saw problems in his use of technology to procrastinate.
“Like when I go down a YouTube rabbit hole binge watching a series of videos in one go, I often have sensations of overwhelming boredom and agitation, regretting the experience,” Anamuah-Mensah said. “A hidden consequence would be time lost that I could have spent doing homework, further increasing my feelings of regret.”
Anamuah-Mensah said that social media platforms, like Instagram, can worsen the mental health impacts of screen time. He is not active on these platforms due to a belief that these platforms foster harmful self-comparison and cyberbullying.
Dwayne Isaacs, director of student engagement at USF St. Petersburg, understands the repercussions that high levels of screen time can have on all members of a college community.
“Everyone – not just students – but I think faculty and staff have too much screen time right now,” Isaacs said. “But it’s the environment that we’re in and have to work with.
“We spend more time behind a computer than meeting a person or walking across campus and having those sidebar conversations. That’s a little isolating at times for people who need the energies of other people. That can be tough on anyone.”
Now nearly a year into classes, events and extracurriculars being online, USF continues to struggle with its student engagement.
“I think we’re going to see impacts to engagement for those that want that in-person contact,” Isaacs said. “Some people are very ready to be back to normal. We hope that people are considering safety, but people are just kind of done with not being able to connect the way they used to, and I don’t blame them.”
According to Isaacs, the university has been “really creative” in finding safe, alternative solutions to the side effects of virtual learning and increased screen time.
St. Petersburg and Tampa campuses will offer socially distanced tabling sessions for student organizations to meet in-person. On-campus spaces for students to have quiet, glitch-free Microsoft Teams meetings will also be made available.
Issacs said that the use of virtual platforms can be beneficial for “busy” students and some university events.
“Screen time is advantageous, but at the same time, there are drawbacks,” Isaacs said. “It’s that age-old saying: ‘everything in moderation,’ I guess.”
In order to keep screen time in check, Isaacs recommends students get outside and enjoy the space around them, such as visiting the gym, parks and local events like the Saturday Morning Market.
While screens remain a necessary evil for students, there are ways to refrain from endless scrolling:
** Set screen time limits on your phone
Using built-in features, like the screen time feature on iPhones, to set time limits can prevent users from signing into apps once the limit has been reached for the day.
** Use grayscale settings instead of color
A colorless display is less stimulating for users’ brains. People have reported feeling less addicted to their phones after participating in the “Go Gray” movement.
** Turn-off unnecessary notifications
Constant reminders to check a device – important or otherwise – only trigger screen addictions. Receiving incessant UberEats discount notifications can quickly turn into hours on Twitter.
** Designate screen-free areas in your home
Tackling excessive screen time can be less daunting with a little teamwork. Together with roommates or a partner, users should designate areas or times that screens are not allowed. Time spent face-to-face will encourage less unnecessary device usage.
** Consider your health
If high levels of screen time are inevitable, invest in specialized accessories designed for better screen hygiene, like blue-light-filtering glasses and anti-glare screen protectors. These products can reduce eye-strain, improve sleep and prevent eye damage.
