With the advent of smartphones, we now have the world in the palm of our hands. Think about how many times a day you reach for your phone, whether it’s in between classes, while doing homework, or even at the dinner table. This revolution has made daily life easier in many aspects: being able to communicate quickly, see what all of your friends are up to on social media, and make tasks easier. But with every innovation, there are downsides.
Excessive screen time can impact mental health, attention span, and focus. A study in which subjects were blocked from all mobile internet access except for texting and calling on their smartphones for two weeks found that participants slept at least an additional 20 minutes per night, reported improved mental health, or what some call positive emotions, and experienced wider attention spans. In other words, when the constant stream of digital stimulation disappeared, people’s minds began to reset, and their quality of life as a whole improved.
Many know the feeling of sitting with friends or family while everyone is half-present, attention brought down to the screen every few minutes. Even when we’re together, our attention is split. Over time, that constant distraction can make moments feel less real and less memorable.
This makes sense when scientists look at brain activity when we pick up our phones. When checking notifications or just scrolling through social media, the brain creates short bursts of dopamine, a hormone associated with pleasure, and releases stress hormones like cortisol.
Stress is an overwhelming force that already impacts so many teens and adults today. So why heighten it? Is there truly anything on that phone that matters more than the moment happening right in front of you? Eventually, that fear of missing out is going to hit one day because you were too busy watching someone else’s life on a screen.
According to many neurologists, this constant stimulation can negatively affect your cognitive health. Checking notifications constantly can affect your attention span, with slower responses and selective attention when choosing what to put your focus on. On top of this, your sleep cycle can be disrupted, especially when checking them at night.
For growing and learning students, a good night’s sleep is very important to keep up with all of the tasks balanced during the school year.
In the grand scheme of things, longer attention spans make people more present in the moment and able to enjoy what is right in front of them. So much is happening outside of the phone. Looking back, you won’t remember the hours spent scrolling; you’ll remember laughing with friends, late-night conversations, and moments that actually mattered. Memories last longer than a 24-hour Instagram story.
When we hear or see a notification, our brain interprets it as something that demands immediate attention. This can put us in a constant state of alertness, leading to heightened stress and interrupted sleep. If you wake up groggy every day, the answer may be that phone you stay on scrolling through TikTok right up until you close your eyes every night.
For children and teens, the effects can be even more concerning. Not all screen time is equal to the brain: FaceTime with grandma isn’t going to have the same effect as playing Fortnite or scrolling endlessly on social media. Overloading your brain leads to mental fatigue, and as our brain develops, it becomes more susceptible to change, which is heightened when using screens.
Studies in pediatric psychology have found that children who limit their time on screens to less than 2 hours a day at a young age often score higher on cognitive assessments by 1.44 points.
So what can we do to reduce our screen time? Moderation matters. Not all screen time is bad, but spending too much time on screens can have devastating impacts. In the digital age, screens are a must. Start small. Read a book before bed instead of watching Netflix. Turn off your notifications for social media. Set screen time limits. Put aside specific times each day to unplug.
These simple habits can improve sleep, reduce stress, and help us stay more present in our daily lives because years from now, you won’t remember what is on the screen; you’ll remember what was worth looking up for.
