The past few months forced us to spend more time in front of our electronic devices than we generally do. We desperately want to dismiss the feeling of sitting idle, with no productivity present, and utter boredom.
The previous lifestyle involved a hectic work routine with no time to spend on any reading device. The lockdown phase made us want to spend our time somewhere where there is no isolation and distress during these uncertain times. We always need to ask ourselves a simple question: What if these screen devices harm our health? It could be whatsoever.
Although it is more than evident that we need to keep ourselves distracted from any negative factors around us due to the pandemic situation outside, but that doesn’t change the fact about our time spent in front of these electronic devices and its ill effects on the mind & body.
Every day, health experts make discoveries to understand the nature of things and their effect on human health. A brand new theory suggests that there are certainly traces of link between the amount of time we spend on our reading devices and the extent to which it leads to a deteriorating effect on our health.
What is the Relationship?
The present generation is too involved in social media and watching various series on OTT platforms, providing much-needed entertainment. Still, we often overutilize these gadgets without even realizing the subtle consequences each of them can have.
The television box began to spread globally and became the central part of everyone’s life even before social media and android devices. Books were also a part of our day’s routine to eliminate boredom and keep ourselves distracted, but now that there are multiple screened devices around us, we are much more glued to them than we were in the past.
When we say various screened devices, it means the range of electronic gadgets available to us, such as mobile, computers, tablets, Kindles, etc. The more we expose ourselves to these gadgets, the more it has caused us to compromise with our health. Experts believe that spending hours on any digital reading devices or in front of any television can lead to specific poor health outcomes.
It might sound unusual that how could the use of a digital reading device or any other screened gadgets lead to a severe health condition? But experts have found that individuals who were too engrossed in their different kinds of screened devices did not even have their proper meals at times and are co-dependent on fast foods.
The consistent use of tablets, mobile phones, laptops, or even Kindle digital reading for our leisure time might sometimes make us lose the count of time; we are not bothered about what kind of food we are eating.
The study proved the association of screened devices and poor health involved specific research experts who claimed an occurrence of type 2 diabetes and obesity in people due to a ‘couch-potato’ lifestyle people adapt. But experts through this study have tried to search answers for whether all screened devices, just like television, cause a poor health situation in people?
According to the study, too much time spent on these devices causes people to consume higher salt, sugar, and saturated fat levels. All of this food falls under improper food habits that could show signs of problematic health conditions.
The Conducted Study
The assistant dean of innovation and strategic initiatives at the Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions in Phoenix, Chris Warton, and his team developed an 18 questionnaire survey distributed to around 978 adults who owned a television or any other screened device with them.
After a careful analysis of this survey, only 926 adults gave relevant answers to those 18 questions. The final evaluation derived specific facts about these individuals collectively dividing their screen time use into three categories: light, moderate, and Heavy.
- Total Time Spent by people on their screen devices (Digital or Television)
- Their quality of sleep and the sleep cycle
- The diet they consumed
- How much they were physically active
- Their Overall health & the amount of stress they had
- Their Body Mass Index
The survey’s results introduced researchers that people who spend almost 17.5 hours of their day on their digital devices, television, or other screened devices have claimed to have the worst dietary routine and their health-related characteristics are also very concerning. They confessed to eating more fast foods and additional sugar preservatives in their food or drink rather than consuming quality foods such as fruits and vegetables.
The individuals with a total 17.5-hour screen surfing time had major problems than those who were significantly less or moderately active on these gadgets. These individuals had their health-related issues but had a bad sleep quality and were least physically active.
Researchers’ overall theory states the different kinds of screens that might have variations in their effects on an individual’s health. It is better understood while observing those research subjects that sit for prolonged hours in front of their television or mobile phones have much worse health characteristics than those who sit for long hours with their digital readings devices or other electronic gadgets.
The lead researcher Wharton says,
We’re engaging with media in lots of different ways, and in mobile ways. And across a lot of these devices, heavy users were engaging in a lot of fast food consumption. So the convenience of (screen use) seems to be associated with the convenience of fast food.
The Pandemic & Casual Relationship mentioned in the Study.
Researchers primarily intended to understand how the advancement of newer devices and technology has associated itself with health conditions, some of which were never known or occurred in the past. The study still hasn’t made it clear why it is happening precisely, but there could be specific ways to make things easier for us regarding indulging ourselves on the screen for a more extended period.
Doctors might prescribe people to wear reading glasses while working in front of the screen or using a kindle to read something. It might help you lessen the harmful light, which is responsible for a disrupted sleep cycle.
Wharton has his doubts to confidently claim about the kind of relationship a screen device shares with the health condition. He has mentioned that more in-depth research must be conducted to understand this association, and other theories can be developed based on that. Diverse factors would lead to defining the effect of different digital devices on individuals’ health per see.
