The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the course of daily life, particularly for teenagers. With schools closing and social distancing measures implemented, tremendous growth in screen time for this population has been reported. Its effects on mental health and social interaction have generated widespread concern, and similar rate increases will greatly affect students’ academic performance. Understanding what the research on screen time says will provide insights into pandemic-related education changes.
1. What Has Driven the Growth in Screen Time?
The pandemic has exacerbated the ways in which teens use technology. Closing schools and transitioning to online learning have presumably caused students significantly longer screen times. According to Common Sense Media, “screen time among teens shot up by 60%,” reaching 7.7 hours by June 2020. There are three factors that have driven this growth:
Online learning has replaced traditional universities and schools with virtual classrooms. Many students report “over four hours of active online learning per day,” which may more than double their required screen time exposure.
Social Networks. With physical connections severed, teens use social media to stay in touch. Several networking sites, such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, were visited by close to two-thirds of 12- and 13-year-olds and more than 85% of 14- to 16-year-olds.
Gaming. Today, the pandemic has become a boon for online games, such as Fortinet and Among Us, which hosted multiple million people hangouts and were in over 55 million and 183 million games played, respectively. Most teens play about 2.5 hours of video games each day.
1. The Forces Driving Screen Time
Streaming Services
Since teens had to stay with their families under lockdown, they consumed a lot of digital content through streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. This was both for teens watching shows with their families and individually. teens spent an average of 3 hours viewing shows and movies. This plays a central role in exacerbating teens’ use of screens.
Virtual Communication
Teens no longer saw their friends in person and had to rely on virtual communication. Video call services like Zoom, FaceTime, and messaging applications have been popular options to stay in touch with friends and family. This created an extra force that resulted in the use of screens.
Health and Fitness Apps
Most teens have been using health and fitness applications to exercise from the comfort of their homes. This became another force to up their usage of screens for a day.
Content Creation
The fact that teens were at home gave room for most, if not all, to be content creators. This meant more time on screens creating and editing their videos. The LSU report shows that many teens have found the need to be content creators and have experienced increased screen time this way. This is another force that affects screen usage during the pandemic.
For the projection, the LSU report weights averages of screen time among teens. According to the report, it is ready to be on the rise, and by 2025 it is estimated that the daily average screen time will remain elevated. This may go up to about 9 hours as digital habits are formed and technology becomes more central in their lives.
2. The impact of increased screen time on mental health
With increased screen usage among teens, its impact on mental health cannot be ignored. Screens are being actively used by teens today for schoolwork and to stay in touch with their friends and relatives. One system published in the Journal of Adolescent Health in 2021 noted that 40% of teens are more anxious and miserable due to the use of screens. This was as a result of the social and academic pressure that they felt inhibited by the use of screens.
Social isolation
It is ironical that as the screen brings people together, in the background feelings of loneliness and isolation are encouraged.
Sleep Disruption
Increased screen time is frequently associated with poorer sleep quality, in that many teens use their devices well into the night, leading to fatigue and lower academic performance.
Reduced Physical Activity
Due to longer screen time, people, teens especially, engage with their phones and computers longer, leading to the reduced physical activity that has been associated with negative health outcomes, such as obesity and related conditions.
Online Bullying
The increasing screen time is often correlated with a higher risk of online bullying through social platforms, which is also associated with higher stress levels and emotional problems in affected teens.
Rising Anxiety
Most teens have already reported some anxiety levels about the state of the world today, and the information they receive online does not help.
Increased Substance Use
Finally, it is also safe to assume that the growing screen time is associated with higher substance use due to greater amounts of stress.
According to recent projections, by 2030, increased screen time will call for more attention from mental health professionals. There will be a 50% increase in counseling and therapy services for adolescents.
3. Effects on Academic Performance
The relationship between screen time and academic performance can be considered complex at this point given the fact that we are experiencing a shift to remote learning due to the pandemic. On one hand, technology still allows students to learn and acquire relevant information, but on the other hand, the issues that can arise from the excessive exposure to screens can still have a negative impact on the final results.
The 2020 RAND Corporation study showed that students who were stuck in remote learning due to the pandemic reported a 25% decrease in final scores in comparison to previous years. Some students pointed out that they were indeed more concerned with:
Distraction from the educational process, which is often the case when they multitask and surf the web during online classes at the same time.
Lack of structure offered by the class setting.
Digital Fatigue
It can be concluded that the most common shortcoming of display-based schooling is prolonged display time. Studies show that when students are exposed to screens, they experience digital exhaustion.
More time spent in front of a television screen can have a negative effect on students’ retention as they find it difficult to maintain the information they understand. The last result, then, will be shown in their academic success.
Limited Contact with Educators
Next, another drawback of screen-based schooling is that contact with educators or teachers is restricted. It happens that when pupils are learning, there will be several lessons of discipline that will be challenging for them to grasp. The follow-up will find that their understanding of the subject is incomplete.
Resource Access and Availability
The other unusual aspect about screen-based schooling is that there is no promise that all students have access to the educational materials they need for learning. For some, it may be hard to get the relevant materials.
Reduced Opportunities for Peer Learning and Group Work
Another annoying dilemma that comes with digital schooling is the lack of chances for peer learning and team implementation. Sometimes, teachers build learners’ groups and assign practice in the field. This technique enables children to appreciate the concept better.
By 2025, what percentage of students do you project will continue to have academic performance results hindered by reliance on digital systems for learning?
It is assumed that by the year 2025, 30% of the students will still have their academic performance interrupted by digital resources.
Statistical Forecast badge
Explanation: As digital schooling continues to expand, it is clear that a substantial percentage of students may have access to the materials and information. This will have a significant impact on their understanding of the topic.
Fostering Open Communication
Letting teens openly speak about the time they spend watching how to hack Snapchat and use other media can help them decide which way is right. It is because when they share what they feel about their media usage, they can decide on their own whether it is appropriate for them or not.
Using Parental Controls
One can set parental controls to limit the content they can see over their screens and thus avoid vicious or erotic information, thereby reducing the risks they might have while being equipped online.
Modelling Healthy Habits
One cannot expect their children to keep themselves away from media overuse if they make the same mistake themselves. Thus, they should obligatorily control their own online activities and spend enough time with the whole family to develop a strong bond. One way or another, by 2030, at least 80% of families should be actively managing screen time to develop a stronger family bond and reduce risks associated with overusing media.
In conclusion, I would like to point out that both taking risks using media chaotically and avoiding any media sources are wrong. It is because modern children should be given a chance to analyze and store a lot of information that cannot be done without media. Nevertheless, it is also vital to spend a lot of time in close contact with families. For this reason, it is always better to take real threats of screen time usage and always be ready to prevent potential problems.
