Limiting screen time can be difficult especially if you have an office job that requires you to be on the computer most of the day. Photo by Vlada Karpovich, Pexels.

By Emily Christ
Health and Human Sciences Extension Educator Purdue Extension Elkhart County

Emily Christ

ELKHART COUNTY — In this day and age, it’s easy to spend hours on end looking at a screen. Between new gaming systems, different streaming TV services and new trending apps, it’s hard to not be looking at a screen. We have a mini screen at the tips of our fingers at every second. For most, it’s used for everything we do. Limiting screen time can be difficult especially if you have an office job that requires you to be on the computer most of the day.

A couple of years ago, the average screen time for adults in the U.S. was around 11 hours per day. During the pandemic, it skyrocketed to around 19 hours a day. That’s more than half of the day.

Around 30% of adults say they are online all of the time. It is extra difficult for individuals who work from home to get away from a screen. Too much screen time affects us in more ways than people think. It can cause physical effects such as insomnia, poor sleep habits, neck/back pain, eye strain and headaches. Too much screen time can also affect us cognitively and mentally. We can begin to see changes in cognition, addictive behavior and mental health disorders.

While experts know you can’t change the nature of your work environment, you may be able to make some changes outside of your work environment. Research says you should limit screen time to around two hours or less a day outside of work. The other time spent looking at a screen whether it is a phone, TV, tablet, computer, etc. should be spent participating in physical activity at a feasible level.

Take small steps to minimize your screen time instead of cutting yourself off cold turkey. You will be more successful this way. You can start by being intentional and turning on timers or turning off notifications. You could even go as far as leaving devices in a completely separate room. This will help with kicking a habit that has become like second nature to us.