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• Physical strain to your eyes and body
Spending long hours staring at a screen definitely takes a toll on your body, especially your eyes. Excessive screen time not only strains your eyes and leaves them feeling dry, but can also lead to retina damage and blurred vision. is already a big problem that plenty of Singaporeans face and staring incessantly at a screen only worsens existing conditions. Furthermore, being constantly hunched over (like how so many people tend to do with their smartphones) also affects your posture and can cause stiffness and pain both the neck and shoulder.
•Sleep deprivation
The amount of screen time you clock has a direct impact on how much sleep you are getting, given that the blue light emitted from digital screens interferes with the production of the sleep hormone melatonin in your body. This is why using digital devices right before bedtime makes it much harder for you to fall asleep. Research has found that Singaporeans aren't getting enough sleep and cutting our screen time certainly makes for a good solution to this problem. You can have more information on this website "https://screentimenetwork.org/"
• Increased risk of obesity
The passive, sedentary nature of digital device usage means you are depriving yourself of physical activity and exercise. This contributes to increased weight-gain, especially if you tend to snack quite a bit while watching TV. Furthermore, the numerous fast-food commercials on TV also tempt many of us into eating more unhealthily. Simply watching two more additional hours of TV each day can significantly increase the risk of becoming obese.
• Loss of cognitive ability
One of the scariest consequences of excessive screen time is its effect on one's mental health. Too much screen time alters the very structure of your brain by causing the grey matter that's responsible for cognitive processes to shrink, as well as deformity to the white matter that serves as the network to the brain's signal communication. This manifests itself in the form of poorer concentration, weaker memory, slower information processing and weaker impulse control – these effects are particularly worrying when it comes to children, whose brains are still developing.
• Impaired socializing skills
Using digital devices is a largely solitary activity – we don't have much real-life interactions when we are preoccupied with what's happening on the screen. This could lead to increasing anti-social tendencies and feelings of withdrawal. With children in particular, this precious opportunity to develop important social skills through playing with their friends is lost when they spend time on digital devices instead.
• Weakened emotional judgment
Too much screen time also affects your ability to register and process emotions. Desensitization to violent content is one particularly worrying side effect of weakened emotional judgment. According to scientific research, exposure to violent media content can also increase aggression levels, especially in younger children and adolescents.
• Delayed learning in young children
When it comes to young children, the alteration of the brain's structure due to excessive screen time can impact their learning abilities. In particular, children who watch more TV have more difficulty picking up languages – this delay in learning can be as much as 50% higher for every 30 minutes spent watching the TV. Letting kids watch educational programs may not be the best way to educate them either – young children learn better by physically exploring, and letting them watch shows passively hinders their brains from being active and engaged.
