Screentime: how much is too much?

It's a question we all want the answer to. But it's kind of like asking, 'how much sugar is too much?'

We know that sugar can affect our weight, teeth, mood, and energy levels. But how much is too much? Well, that depends.

Some kids bounce off the walls after one lolly, whereas others are fine after a whole bag. Diabetic? You'd be wise to watch your sugar intake. Meticulous about your oral health? A little sugar is probably ok. And where is that sugar coming from? A bag or an apple.

See, the sugar issue is super complicated. And almost impossible to put a value on – at least at the population level.

But knowing how much sugar is ok for you as an individual doesn't need to be. If you pay attention to your body, it will tell you. We come with an in-built internal messaging system that constantly sends us information to help us maintain a healthy equilibrium.

We feel hungry when we need to eat and full when we need to stop eating. We run into problems when we fail (either consciously or unconsciously) to tune in and listen to this messaging.

And if we ignore the messaging long enough, the message will become louder. Then others start sending us the message. Then our mirror and our scales. Then our doctor.

So, how much screen time is too much?

For the little ones, the WHO suggests no screen time under the age of two and less than an hour per day for those under five. We think that's reasonable (not easy, but reasonable). For everyone else? In all honesty, we don't know.

Similarly, to sugar, it's impossible to quantify how much is too much for all individuals within a population. And when it comes to digital technology, we are all individuals. We have different experiences, histories, cultures, lifestyles, relationships, family structures, strengths, and weaknesses.

We view different digital content. We engage differently with that content. And we are impacted differently by that engagement - some of us are more vulnerable, others more resilient. So how could a single guideline capture all these differences? It couldn't.

So instead of continuing to seek that elusive single guideline that is somehow meant to account for a population full of individuals, we might want to start asking ourselves a different question: "how healthy is my digital diet?"

Some dietary advice

Hardly any dieting guideline is more sensible and succinct than Michael Pollan's famous "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants". Like food, maintaining a healthy screen diet can likely be summed up similarly: Use digital technology. Not too much. Mostly positive content. It might not be as elegant as Pollan's version, but it conveys the same essential message: it needn't be complicated.

Use digital technology

It seems that every time someone points out the downfalls of technology, they are labelled anti-technology or Luddites.

Luddites, by the way, weren't technophobes but rather tech-savvy pioneers who were looking a little further down the road. They were skilled craftspeople who were at once able to use technology whilst being wary of its threat to their trade.

They saw that new factory technologies created textiles of lower quality, resulting in lower wages and undermining their families, towns, and regions. In short, they had their eyes wide open. So, it's probably not a bad thing and probably not the insult people think it is.

Without a shadow of a doubt, technology is good. But being entirely for or against something takes a level of commitment and faith in the existence of an absolute truth that often researchers don't have. We know the research, and we know the limitations of that research. We don't have all the answers, and you should beware of people that say they do. But based on research, experience, and common sense, we feel confident saying that some technology use is good. So, go ahead, use digital technology, but remember…

Not too much

While the impact of digital technology on humans is shrouded in uncertainty and plagued by unknowns, research in other fields provides us with more concrete evidence for what humans need to thrive.

We're talking about the heavy hitters: not sitting too much, exercising a bit (or a lot, up to you), spending time doing the things you love with the people you love, being outside, and sleeping. With few exceptions, excessive screen use interferes with all these things. So, use technology, just not so much that it interferes with life, and keep in mind this one last caution…

Mostly positive content

It's usually apparent what positive media use entails. It makes you feel good, or at least neutral, about yourself and other people. Turning it off doesn't take too much willpower, and it can spark your interest and knowledge in constructive and healthy ways. It can be 'educational'. So, if you're YouTubing how to poach an egg, reading up on how to refinance your home, taking online university courses, or catching up with your sister in Europe, by all means, as you were.

But you might want to rethink your use of negative media. Negative media is often violent, offensive, inaccurate, addictive, or extreme. It may be one of these things, it may be all of them, or it may be none of them. If non-violent, non-offensive, non-addictive, and non-extreme technology makes you feel bad about yourself or others, it's still negative. Turn it off.

But what about pernicious screen use? The type that seems innocent at first but slowly, over time, turns more violent, more offensive, more inaccurate, more addictive, more extreme, or just more negative. It's harder to spot, but there are warning signs. Have you stopped doing the things you once enjoyed? Have your beliefs, ideas, or values abruptly shifted? Have you started doubting yourself and what you stand for, or have you lost a sense of who you are? Are you suddenly at odds with the people you love and trust in your life? If you answer 'yes' to any of these questions, the balance may have insidiously tipped in favour of negative screen use. 

Your healthy digital diet

It can be hard to resist the newest craze, the latest app, the trending
hashtag, or hot scandal. FOMO is very real. So is boredom and being stuck
inside. But despite what you may believe, you do have options, and switching
off is one of them.

Like with food, listen to what your internal messaging system tells you about your technology use. How are your relationships? How does your body feel? How do your eyes feel? How do you feel? Tune in. And then, if need be, tune out for a bit. Yes, the impact of digital technology on people is complicated, but the solution needn't be. Use digital technology. Not too much. Mostly positive content.