How Screen Overuse Affects Mental Health in Students

For children of all ages, a consistent rise in screen time has become a part of their daily life, which is a major result of the various sources of entertainment available online. This leads to various harmful effects on the mental health of children in their growth, which is highlighted as a major concern for their overall growth, if not controlled, by studies conducted by reputed bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), etc.

What is the Relation Between Screen Time and Mental Health in Students?

The relationship between screen time and mental health in students depends heavily on the duration, purpose, content quality, and age. While moderate and purposeful screen use can support learning, excessive screen time effects on students are negative and lead to psychological outcomes in the form of:

1. High Anxiety and Depression

Excessive screen use is directly associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. It tends to be harmful for children when the time is spent on non-academic content, which is responsible for lower mood stability and higher emotional distress. The common contributing factors due to screen overuse anxiety and depression in teens, as observed by expert child psychologists, include:

• Constant social comparison through social media platforms
• Fear of missing out (FOMO) driven by real-time updates
• Exposure to cyberbullying
• Reduced social interaction, which is essential for emotional development

2. Low Attention Span

When a child gets high screen exposure, it directly results in their reduced attention span and increased distractibility. As per several neuroscience studies, this is a result of a dopamine-driven reward loop, where fast-changing digital content conditions the brain to seek constant stimulation. Students with heavy recreational screen use show:

• Difficulty in focusing on classroom lectures
• Reduced patience for long reading or problem-solving tasks
• Increased task-switching behavior

3. Sleep Disruption

A proper sleep schedule is necessary for students as irregular or deprivation of sleep directly results in irritation, poor academic performance, emotional instability, and high stress. This problem is mainly linked to the overuse of screens or digital tools for entertainment purposes. The following are some screen-related factors that disturb your sleep cycle:

• Blue light reduces melatonin production, the hormone responsible for sleep regulation
• Mental stimulation from games, videos, or social media that delays relaxation

4. Emotional Numbing

A major impact of screen time on a kid’s mental health is emotional numbing. Unnecessarily long screen immersion can reduce their emotional sensitivity and real-world emotional engagement, which is described as emotional blunting or emotional numbing. Its common observations, which also highlight the importance of balanced emotional experiences beyond screens, include:

• Reduced empathy in human interactions
• Preference for digital engagement over real conversations
• Difficulty expressing or processing emotions in person
• Lower frustration tolerance in real-life situations

What Does Harmful Excessive Screen Time Include?

Children of many affordable private school Mira Road choose to study from mobile phones for better understanding of concepts, as well as notes that can be used for preparation. At the same time, incomplete knowledge leads to their parents wrongly believing that screen time can be termed harmful only by long duration. 

Rather, it is defined less by hours and more by the content children consume. Excessive use of digital devices is generally considered harmful when it:

• Replaces physical activity, sleep, or face-to-face interaction
• Includes doomscrolling or binge-watching anything
• Involves emotionally intense or age-inappropriate content
• Continues despite negative academic, emotional, or physical effects

Some examples of potentially harmful screen-usage patterns include:

• Using devices late into the night on school days
• Multitasking screens during study time
• Emotional dependence on online validation
• Loss of interest in offline hobbies

What are the Signs of Screen Addiction?

Screen addiction is considered a psychological problem among children for whom problematic digital use patterns are widely recognized. Early identification of these usage and behavioral patterns is important as they tend to be reversible at an early stage. This reversibility in question comes as a result of structured routines, parental involvement, and digital literacy. Some of the most common warning signs among children include:

• Irritability or anxiety when screen access is restricted
• Low attention to studies or other responsibilities
• Loss of interest in previously enjoyed offline activities
• Using screens to escape stress rather than cope with it
• Repeated failure to reduce screen time despite awareness

When is High Screen Time Considered Beneficial?

In the present time, the majority of children depend on YouTube videos and digital notes in the form of PDFs to study, especially near their exams. Against what the majority of parents believe, high screen time can be beneficial for children when it is a duration spent by children for their education and development. The following are some positive outcomes commonly observed when screen time is dedicated to the right intent, like:

• Structured learning
• Creativity
• Collaboration and communication for projects
• Balanced with physical activity and offline socialization

Beneficial screen use typically shows these characteristics among students:

• Clear focus on learning and skill development
• Taking breaks from screen usage
• Active engagement in physical world

Conclusion

Even if you are getting your child to study at the best school in Mira Road, they are still prone to risks that arise from excess screen time due to bad intent. Screen overuse affects students’ mental health only when it becomes excessive, unstructured, and emotionally substitutive. However, with the right approach towards the usage of screens with a balance of entertainment and well-intention, the many risks of excessive screen time turn into benefits for students of all ages.

At St. Wilfred’s School, Mira Road, we teach students digitally through smart classrooms and also teach them digital literacy and the limits of screen time. Enroll your child at St. Wilfred’s School, Mira Road, and get them to learn about various important life skills along with gaining a perfect quality of education.

FAQs

Q. How much screen time is too much for students?

For students, spending more than two hours on screen is considered too much for them. This screen time includes spending time on TV, video games, computer, laptop, smartphone, etc.

Q. Can too much screen time cause anxiety?

Yes, excessive screen time can cause anxiety among students, along with several other problems such as hyperactivity, depression, and an overall low psychological well-being.

Q. How does the 20/20/20 rule work?

The 20/20/20 rule should be followed to prevent digital eye strain that arises due to excess screen time. According to this rule, you should take a 20-second break to look 20 feet away to relax your eyes after every 20 minutes of being on the screen.