Screen time at university: Four ways it impacts students
Digital devices can be both helpful and harmful to students, impacting different areas of life. Understanding how young people might be affected is key to putting healthy screen time boundaries and limits in place, whether by students themselves, or professionals at their university.
In this article, we share four ways screen time can positively and negatively impact students, as well as a few top tips for reducing daily use.
Academic performance
Moderate screen time can be useful as a study tool for students, aiding them with research and revision, and allowing them to access digital resources they otherwise wouldn’t be able to. In fact, many institutions promote responsible screen time as an efficient way to learn and submit assignments.
However, getting the balance right can be tricky – and with students having access to their own devices without limits, it can be easy to procrastinate and use the time for non-academic purposes, affecting their productivity.
Physical and mental health
Long hours spent in front of a screen can have a significant impact on students’ physical and mental health, causing eye strain, headaches, and posture-related issues like neck and back pain. Similarly, it can lead to disrupted sleep, affecting students’ mental health.
Plus, social media (and whether it has a good or bad impact) is a much-discussed topic. Many students can be affected by poor self-esteem, stress and anxiety as a result of comparing themselves to their peers, but it’s hard for students to stay away as it’s a means of connection.
It’s essential that students take care of themselves when using digital devices by using ergonomic furniture to support themselves, and limiting screen time where possible to protect their mental health.
Social engagement
Overuse of screens can easily result in reduced face-to-face interactions between students as well as with their lecturers, potentially affecting the quality of their social connections and preventing them from fully participating in campus life.
However, there are a number of benefits to using digital devices as a way to connect with others, such as when collaborating on projects or accessing support networks. By promoting more balanced use of digital devices, students can reap the benefits of communicating online while also maintaining real-life relationships.
Financial management
Screen time can help students manage their money efficiently through online banking, which is essential for many young people leaving home and facing financial responsibilities for the first time. However, such easy access to funds can be an issue for some students, making it more difficult to stick to a budget. With students having access to large sums of money like government loans, it’s essential that they’re able to manage it rather than spending it on gaming or indulging in online shopping.
How can students set healthy screen time boundaries?
To set healthy screen time boundaries students can:
- Use time management tools such as productivity apps, or built-in phone features like focus mode.
- Take social media breaks where possible – it can be helpful to check the screen time feature that’s on many phones.
- Balance with offline activities by scheduling face-to-face meet-ups and using planners and notebooks for studying where possible.
- Create device-free zones or times – for example, by keeping devices out of the room when deep focus is needed, or limiting screen time before bed so as not to disrupt sleep.
Screen time to support learning
Whether you’re a student or an educator, knowing the benefits and drawbacks of screen time is essential to ensuring it’s used responsibly. With digital devices always evolving and more and more students and educators using them in an educational setting, staying in-the-know about best practices can go a long way in making sure it’s used to support learning, rather than preventing it.
