Too much screen time on computers, tablets, cell phones and televisions can be detrimental to one’s health, brain activity, eyesight and overall mental health.
Adults should limit screen time to no more than two hours per day outside of work, according to MSNBC.
When a person overdoes interacting with all these devices, individuals may experience back pain, eyestrain, and limited social contact with other living human beings, according to MSNBC.
In the United States, the average screen time for adults is about 11 hours a day, and 30% of adults say they are online almost constantly.
According to Maris Loeffler, MA, a member of the Stanford Lifestyle Medicine Cognitive Enhancement research team, “The negative effects of screen time are insidious because you can’t see what’s happening in your brain as you’re staring at the screen,” he said.
The SLMCE also found that adults who expose themselves to excessive screen time could experience neurodegeneration that may hamper learning, memory, and a person’s mental health.
The study concluded that adults who watch five hours or more a day of television have an increased risk of dementia, stroke, or Parkinson’s, all brain-related diseases.
“Instead, replace screen time with an intentional healthy habit that feeds your brain in a healthy way,” Loeffler said. “Lifestyle medicine activities, like exercise, good sleep, social connections and stress management function like ‘nutrition’ for your brain and mental health.”
To further support cognitive enhancement, lifestyle medicine experts recommend no screen time for the first hour of the day. They promote starting the day with whole-body health activities, spending time outside to get morning light, calling a family member, eating a healthy breakfast, meditating, listening to music, or reading a book.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation issued tablets to all the incarcerated people; San Quentin Rehabilitation Center received theirs in 2023.
San Quentin resident Robert Gomez said he is an avid user of the tablet issued to him by the state. He said the device allows him to play video games, watch movies, read the news, listen to music and engage in educational programs.
“I spend about six hours a day on my tablet,” Gomez said. “It gives me something to look forward to and it alleviates stress, especially on days when we are locked down inside our cells.”
Gomez added that he sees some San Quentin residents playing video games all day on their tablets, but they are not harming anybody and they seem to be relaxed.
“One of the biggest advantages about these tablets is the ability to text or have video visits with my family,” Gomez said. “Not everybody can afford to drive to the prison to see us because a lot of us have families that live far away.”
San Quentin resident Jack Anderwald, 72, said there is a special value to having access to the use of a tablet. He said the anxiety he used to feel over standing in long lines at the prison in order to use the phone is gone.
“Who would have thought we would ever be able to make a phone call from inside our cell?” Anderwald said. “I don’t have Internet access, but being able to call home or watch a movie has really lowered my stress.”
In the article, Loeffler asked the question, “How do you want your day’s energy and mood to start?” She explained that intentionally implementing a morning routine that reflects lifestyle medicine choices instead of screen time will set a positive tone for a person’s day and support their brain health and cognitive enhancement.
Breathing fresh air and taking walks or runs can offset some of the problems of being a “nerd,” Loeffler said.
“Passive screen time is like eating sugar but for your brain. It ‘tastes’ good, and you want it now, but you’re not actually feeding yourself. You’re not giving your brain nutrition,” Loeffler added.