Exploring the Impact of Excessive Screen Time on Physical Health

Over the past few decades, digital device use has increased. However, with its proliferation, exposure to many risks accompanies screen time. Devices have become an integral part of daily life, particularly for children. Excessive time spent in front of the screen has many potential physical health consequences, including those deriving from eye strain and posture problems to potential obesity.

Multiple studies were conducted to analyze the implications of screen addiction and a sedentary lifestyle for physical wellness, both in the short and long term. In sum, the results underscore that digital health should not outweigh physical health. In terms of future projections, such health risks are expected to become even more acute. As a result, it is essential to focus on family health strategies and screen time recommendations to prevent potential risks from escalating.

Eye Strain and Vision Problems: The Hidden Costs of Device Use

While the exposure of digital devices to the general public moderately is appropriate, such use of such technologies led to eye-illness issues for both children and adults. The 2019 case study of the Vision Council emphasized that digital eye strain mirrored the effects of other screen-related problems, including dry eyes, headaches, and blurred vision.

It was declared that such health issues let screen users keep their eyes open longer than they would have to read text on paper. With the new age, children have become one of the most significant early adopters of emerging screen technologies. The lack of awareness of the need to take breaks for their age has made them one of the most vulnerable to such a health attitude, and this is why they need some health guidelines.

It was estimated that by 2025 screen usage trends continued and more than 70% of children would be exposed to symptoms as a minimum. They need to follow prevention actions such as implementing anti-screen addiction.

Common Vision-Related Health Risks from Screen Time

1. Digital Eye Strain: Continuous exposure to screens without breaks tends to cause eye discomfort and lost focusing power.
2. Dry Eyes: Reduced blink rates when looking at screens tend to cause dry eyes, which in turn leads to their irritation.
3. Blurred Vision: Staring at screens placed near the eyes for long hours tense the eye muscles, causing temporary fluctuations in focusing things.
4. Headaches: Eye straining tends to cause headaches, especially after long-term use of screen gadgets.
5. Near-Focus Abilities Reduced: It has been studied that long-term use of screens more regularly makes near-focusing of things meaningless.
6. Blue Light Exposure: Digital screens usually emit blue light, which affects the sleep patterns of individuals and causes more eye strain.
7. Long-Term Impacts: Research is still conducted to determine the seriousness of minors’ long exposure on screen for the next generation’s lives.

Sedentary Lifestyle and Obesity: The Impact of Prolonged Screen Use

Excessive use of screens has resulted in a sedentary lifestyle, especially for toddlers, making them obese. Spending more hours before screens deprived kids more time to spend on physical exercises, which reduce inactivity and cause weight gain and heart-related diseases. 2021 statistics from an article published by the American Heart Association indicated at 25% increased cases of obesity prevalence to kids exposed to more than three hours of screen time daily.

However, come 2030, about 60% of kids will have more risk of being obese if no measures are systematically put in place. Therefore, parents and wardens are recommended to strictly adhere to screen time practitioners with kids in their respective centers.

Health Issues Caused by a Sedentary Way of Life

1. Overweight: When a screen is used for an extended period of time, a person moves very little, resulting in weight gain and becoming prone to obesity.
2. Cardiovascular Diseases: A sedentary lifestyle due to screen use can lead to heart disease and other cardiovascular problems.
3. Low Metabolic Rate: Lack of physical activity leads to a decrease in the rate with which an individual metabolizes their food to create energy, thereby affecting the rate at which they burn calories.
4. Diabetes: Screen use can cause inactivity and, with it, obesity, which is a major cause of type 2 diabetes.
5. Weakness of Muscle: Staying in the same position for too long when using screens can lead to muscle weakness.
6. Poor Blood Circulation: This especially occurs in children who sit using screens for an extended period of time.
7. Sleeping Issues: Insomnia during the day with very little sleep at night due to the prolonged hours of screen use from the previous day. This can cause physical, other health problems, and too much fatigue.

Physical Effects of Screen Addiction

Posture and other musculoskeletal problems are some of the physical effects of screen addictions. The use of smartphones, computers, and video games requires the bending or hanging of the head forward, which puts pressure on the neck, shoulders, and back; this is otherwise known as tech-neck. Continuous inaction to correct this posture could become a permanent musculoskeletal issue.

Research from the National Institutes of Health showed that 45% of children who use digital devices for more than 4 hours a day have gone thus developing back and neck pain. The way things are going, it is estimated that 50% of children will have a permanent posture issue to show by 2027; based on this fact, ensure documentation and inculcate in children how to maintain proper posture.

Common Musculoskeletal Issues from Screen Addiction

1. Tech Neck: Bending forward in a bid to read from screens strains neck muscles, resulting in discomfort and pain.
2. Shoulder Strain: Children tend to use devices with poor posture, which in turn puts tension onto the shoulder muscles while using screens.
3. Back Pain: Lack of support causes lower and upper back pain from prolonged screen use.
4. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: The intense use of mobile devices and gaming causes wrist strain and possible nerve damage.
5. Reduced Flexibility: Minimal movement results in contracted muscles making them more prone to stress.
6. Rounded Shoulders: The reason for rounded shoulders is poor posture while on screens; they affect physical fitness and posture.
7. Long-Term Musculoskeletal Damages: If not controlled, the effects of using such gadgets inappropriately may lead to chronic pain and difficulty in physical movement during adulthood.

Promotion of Health and Reduction of Screen Time

Purpose: The family role in promoting health and the reduction of screen time has become a necessity to mitigate these physical health hazards.

Target Audience: Parents and care providers.

Background Information: Health organizations have come up with screen time recommendations to ensure wellness while at the same time encouraging physical activities. Most recommend 2 hours of screen time for children.

Recent studies have depicted the addiction to screens, which is on the rise, affecting the physical well-being of individuals such as text neck.

Key Messages for Families

Family huddles keep an active lifestyle and promote family health routines that keep families away from addiction.

Call to Action: Encouraging Healthier Screen Time Habits

• Take Regular Breaks: Encourage breaks to let the children engage in physical exercises to equip them with screen manners and avoid addiction.
• Encouraging Physical Activity: Being physically active offsets the use of screens. For instance, playing various sports or spending time outdoors removes the potential harm of sedentary screen use.
• Taking Regular Breaks: The breaks in between time spent on screens can be used to do other physical activities. Not only does this strategy prevent children from inactivity, but it also splits the duration of being seated with frequent movement.
• Setting Up Ergonomic Workplaces: Screens should be positioned so that the child has to look at them from the eye level. Besides, chairs must offer proper upper and lower back support to ensure an appropriate posture.
• Controlling the Use of Screens in Device-Free Segregated Locations: This may include, for example, dining rooms. As a result, this not only segregates meal times from the use of screens but also instills the habit of spending time without screens.
• Modeling Healthy Screen Time: Parents that demonstrate that they have and adhere to healthy and balanced screen time devices curb the exposure of children to screens.
• Creating Screen-Free and Other Family Wellness Activities: For example, walking, cycling, and spending screen time as a family specializing in activities that do not involve the use of screens.