Too Much Media

Lauren Ullman

Multiple devices in a person's hand, in front of a blue background filled with rows of code.

“It’s because you’re always on that damn phone!”— the saying that has rung in the ears of America’s youth for years, viewed as an empty threat to misbehaving children, has finally begun to carry some weight. As classrooms, cars, malls, restaurants, bathrooms, and nearly all public spaces have implanted screens, the digital age (and our awareness of its pitfalls) is now inescapable. 

Having constant access to the Internet has its merits. Without skipping a beat, we can ask the Alexa in our kitchen about the weather, research millions of recipes, find videos to repair toilets or fix car tires, search for directions, and ask any outrageous question that we may have. The Internet also is a constant source for conversation—in 2024, 361 billion emails were sent each day, and 16 million texts were sent each minute. Google’s search engine processed more than 40,000 searches every second (3.5 billion searches per day). These unfathomable numbers culminate in the fact that Internet searchers worldwide have reached 5 billion searches a day😳. So what could be going wrong with the fact that people want to explore and learn about their surroundings? 

The Problem

There wouldn’t be a problem, if not for the fact that constant exposure to screens can increase stress and anxiety, cause behavioral dysregulation, decrease social abilities, and impact sleep, according to Nexus Health Systems. Nexus further highlights a study conducted by Yale’s Department of Psychiatry and Columbia School of Nursing, which found that high users of screens ages 14-17 years old were twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety. 

And it tends to be those in younger age groups who are glued to their phones. The introduction of social media has encouraged teens to share their lives online for their friends to see and comment on. While a positive in terms of social connection, this has led to addiction in how we shape our digital personas. 

Social Media

Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat. These platforms have existed for years, and used to be casual apps meant for community building and sharing ideas. In recent years, especially as the ‘influencer’ role has expanded, this demographic has shifted. 

The National Institute of Health (NIH) conducted further studies on the impact of social media use on the mental health of young people, with troubling results. Social comparison pressure with others is a large factor, as well as increased feelings of social isolation after being rejected by others on social media— “it was found that negative comparisons with others on Facebook contributed to risk of rumination and subsequent increases in depression symptoms.” 

Teenager sitting hunched in a hoodie in front of an open computer, filled angry messages and an accusatory finger pointing at them.

Seeking Validation

McLean Hospital details the addictive properties of social media: “Using it activates the brain’s reward center by releasing dopamine, a “feel-good chemical” linked to pleasurable activities such as sex, food, and social interaction. The platforms are designed to be addictive and are associated with anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments.” 

Everyone desires positive affirmations from both strangers and those they know, and this can be easily given and received with online platforms. Likes, comments, and shares have become measures of a person’s self-worth, which is extremely damaging to perceptions of identity for younger teens. The idea of ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out) also contributes to the pressure of being extremely active digitally—people feel that if they are not on a certain platform, they will “miss out,” while those active on such platforms feel the need to constantly post about their lives to ensure others that they are busy. 

The study further found that the more platforms the young adult is present on, the worse their symptoms will become. Having access to various profiles means more opportunities for users to check their pages, interact with others, and obsess over content. 

Loss of Connection

While social media helps the public meet their peers, it simultaneously replaces the face-to-face aspect of socialization that is extremely vital to each teenager’s development. As demonstrated with COVID-19, children forced to experience their early childhood years at home now face severe setbacks in their social output. 

Communicating with others online also opens the doors for negative comments or posts, as well as targeted cyberbullying. The NIH reported that “cyberbullying on social media consistently shows harmful impact on mental health in the form of increased depressive symptoms as well as worsening of anxiety symptoms, as evidenced in a review of 36 studies among children and young people.” 

Being targeted online is extremely dangerous for impressionable young people, and has led to a number of suicides across the country for children who feel unable to escape their bullies. Those who can remain anonymous behind the screen feel capable of saying unspeakable things, which have detrimental impacts on mental health. 

Mental Health

Spending significant amounts of time staring at a bright screen, as opposed to being outside and actively socializing, is harmful to anyone. BMC Public Health reports that “on average, 8- to 12-year-olds spend 5.5 h per day using screen media, excluding time spent online for educational and homework purposes. For teenagers aged 13 to 18 years, screen time rises to 8.5 h per day.” During the pandemic, screen time in adolescents rose by an average of 52%.  

Many of the issues that children experience begin neurologically, and the digital era has only advanced such concerns. According to BMC, “studies have linked increased screen exposure to decreased inhibitory control neurologically and behaviorally.” 

If children are not putting an emphasis, or are not taught to put an emphasis, on social experiences outside of a screen, their mental health will continue to plummet. The most significant finding of BMC’s study was the fact that depressive symptoms are most strongly correlated with screen time, further proving the harm of having such easy access and intense dependence on our screens. 

The Future

As technology continues to evolve, and especially with the recent development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the role of screens in every aspect of society will likely continue to grow.

The COVID-19 pandemic also introduced and boosted the popularity of online meetings, such as Teams or Zoom, which are beginning to replace certain in-person office jobs. While the focus is mainly on the mental health of children using their screens, taking adults out of office and relegating them to spending all of their time at home on calls is just as damaging. 

In schools, teachers are now forced to supplement their lessons with engaging videos and opportunities to browse the Internet, as the attention span of children has severely decreased. Certain accounts include teachers who must split their screen between their lesson page and a video playing through YouTube, just so children will pay attention to their board. 

These consequences will become more prevalent, as the number of young adults affected by depression and anxiety will continue to spiral. Our dependence on screens in the digital age is a significant issue that will require extreme effort to remedy. 

What to Work On

There are methods that can be performed to ensure that this dependency lessens, and it begins both in adults and at a young age. Screen time that is spent while the child is at school is uncontrollable to parents, but once the child returns home, they can enforce a period of time where no screens are allowed (instead, encourage play outside, with toys, or reading); supply physical rather than online games; arrange playdates with friends; and have conversations with their children about the negative effects of too much screen time. 

Adults should also focus on their own wellbeing. Taking time away from their work, likely performed online, is crucial to remaining healthy, both mentally and physically. Exercising, spending time with family and friends, going outside, reading, and building connections in-person are all beneficial ways to ensure that their lives still exist outside of the digital sphere.

Other methods might include setting timers for online usage and placing the phone or computer outside of the room. As having access to digital platforms can be problematic, constantly having a screen within reach reinforces this dependency. 

The effort to appropriately manage screen time, both for children and adults, is vital in suppressing this issue. Start by shutting the screen down, and end with a healthier mindset.