By now, we are all aware that spending hours scrolling on illuminated digital screens is not the healthiest way to spend our time. However, despite numerous warnings, we do it anyway.
Locking in for screen time is how many people unwind from a stressful day at the office, but using the bluelit device as a relaxant can have more worrying side effects than we may realise.
From morning emails checked before that first sip of coffee to late-night scrolling that interrupts sleep, screens now stitch themselves into nearly every waking hour of our lives.
But at what point does all this interaction tip into overstimulation that depletes our brain's productivity and energy? As the debate over digital balance intensifies, HELLO! asked the experts to draw the line between where healthy screen use ends and when it is time to power down.
Why is screen time so bad for us?
We have all heard the rhetoric repeated a million times that the blue light emitted from screens is harmful to our health; however, do we actually know why and if we did, would we take these warnings more seriously?
Between sleep disruption and unwanted stimulation, it is a combination of the screen itself and the content you are viewing on the device.
HCPC-registered Senior Education and Child Psychologist Dr Sasha Hall, who has over 15 years of experience in the field, explained the nuances of screen time to HELLO!
She said: "Screen time itself isn’t inherently bad, but difficulties tend to arise when screen use starts to replace things that are important for our psychological well-being, such as face-to-face social interaction, physical activity, sleep, and opportunities for sustained attention.
"Heavy screen use can reduce the amount of time we spend engaging in meaningful, reciprocal interactions with others. This matters because social skills, friendships and emotional understanding develop through real-world connections."
The expert added: "For children and young people, this can limit opportunities to practise turn-taking, empathy and conflict resolution, while for adults it can contribute to more superficial interactions and a reduced sense of closeness in friendships and relationships.
"There is also growing evidence that frequent, fast-paced digital content can make it harder to maintain focus for longer periods of time, as the brain becomes used to constant stimulation and rapid attention shifts."
© Getty ImagesArabella Skinner, the Policy Director for Health Professionals for Safer Screens, a UK-based group advocating for stronger protections against digital harms for children, also shared her thoughts on the harmful side effects of too much screen use.
She revealed: "Time spent on screens means time not spent doing other things - being outside, developing fine motor skills, socialising, speaking and developing language skills, as well as exercising.
"Spending too much time on screens has physical issues, including:
- Increase in myopia (short-sightedness) in young children
- Increase in physical issues and musculoskeletal issues
- Links to obesity through sedentary behaviour, advertising of unhealthy food and especially when eating without registering when full due to being on a screen
- The impact on sleep, which is vital for healthy development, is well documented across all age groups (including adults)
What does it do to our bodies?
An overuse of screen time does more than simply affect our sleep and attention span; it can have more severe, lasting effects on our bodies and their functionality.
Dr Sasha shared: "Prolonged screen use can affect the body in several ways. One of the most well-established effects is on sleep, particularly when screens are used in the evening.
"Light from screens and the mental stimulation of scrolling or messaging can delay sleep onset and reduce sleep quality. Screen time is also linked to more sedentary behaviour, meaning we move less overall, which can have knock-on effects for physical health."
She further explained: "In addition, research in vision science suggests that people often hold phones very close to their eyes for long periods, placing sustained demand on near-focus systems.
"This doesn’t mean screens damage eyesight, but it can contribute to eye strain, headaches and visual fatigue, especially when breaks are limited."
Arabella weighed in and said: "Screens have also been shown to impact a child’s ability to self-regulate. Giving your child a screen may feel like it solves an issue or avoids a tantrum, but it builds up in the long term.
"The mental health issues in children and young people are well documented, with things like increases in anxiety, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and self-harm being just some of the issues."
© Getty ImagesHow can we start to reduce our screen time?
With small alterations, we can all start to go from too much time scrolling on screens to just the right amount. Readjusting daily habits and taking back control of our time is the first step to a healthier relationship with our devices.
According to the experts, creating a family or household plan to keep everyone accountable for their screen use is the way to get things started.
Arabella and her team devised a set of simple rules that are as follows:
- No screens an hour before or an hour after waking
- Have screen-free zones or times in your house - so no screens at meals, no additional screens if you are watching a movie, never ever have any screens or internet-enabled devices in children’s bedrooms
- Don’t give young children their own devices - if they need to use them, let them use them for a single purpose and return them
- Keep screens in a public place, make them as large as possible and be aware of what your child is doing or doing with them
She added: "Adults - we need to think about our behaviour. Children mirror adults, and evidence shows that children whose parents spend time on screens have poorer language skills."
