Noor Zia

We not only get addicted to drugs like tobacco and alcohol; there are other things to which humans unknowingly get addicted, such as screens. Spending too much time with screens results in screen addiction. Nowadays, almost all people are screen-addicted, from kids to adults and old people.

Screen addiction refers to a set of behaviors that are negative and happen when we spend too much time with screens. It includes TV, scrolling on different apps, undesired use of WhatsApp, playing video games, etc. All these act as digital drugs for our brains.

I can’t determine whether kids, adults, or old people spend more time with screens than with humans because every individual nowadays likes to spend more time with screens.

Also Read: Cautionary Tale: The Perils of Online Friendships and Marriages

Screen addiction results in obesity, stunted growth, slow brain development, a lack of problem-solving skills, detachment from loved ones, and depression and anxiety.

Obesity

Spending too much time on sedentary activities such as watching TV, playing video games, or scrolling through different social media apps results in obesity. Obesity further results in diabetes, high blood pressure, and other heart problems.

Slow brain development

Children who spend more time with screens remain immature for a longer period of time. They spend much time in an imaginary world, and then it becomes difficult for them to face the world of reality.

When I was in my 2nd year, my friend told me that she always watches fairy tales and feels like a fairy now. I used to notice her actions at that time, and they were really childish. When we spend more time with something, whether it is a human or a screen, it becomes difficult to come out of it. We see children preferring mobile devices over playing with other kids outside.

Lack of problem-solving skills

Nowadays, everything is available on screens, which keeps people from thinking. If we see real life, it is totally different from what we see on screens.

Those who spend their whole time on screens lack problem-solving skills. They don’t have the ability to deal with real-life problems; they are not good decision-makers.

Detachment from loved ones around us

Spending too much time with screens detaches us from our loved ones. We like to talk to random people instead of those who really need us. There is more fascination for us in watching dramas, TikTok, and scrolling on Facebook and Instagram than talking to the people around us.

I usually see individuals sitting together in a room or in a gathering, busy with their own phones rather than talking to each other. Are people around us that unnecessary?

Depression and Anxiety

Screen time has a direct relationship with our mental health. Have you ever thought about your screen time? Not exactly. We eat with screens, we sleep with screens, and we wake up with screens. That is our diet. How is it possible to feel normal when our diet is mobile? How can a person be normal when he or she continuously checks their chat apps without any need? How can a person be normal when someone’s blue or black ticks affect them? Is it possible for a person to behave normally when he or she checks the last seen of others frequently?

You May Also Read: Educational Freedom in Islamic Countries: Contrasting Afghanistan’s Approach

Secondly, on the screen, we always see “perfectionism.” We think of others’ lives as completely perfect, which in a real sense is even far from the word “perfect.” No one is perfect or has a perfect life; we are all perfectly “imperfect.” All the mentioned behaviors result in depression and anxiety.

Conclusion

Today, screens are part of everyone’s lives, and it is almost impossible for us to detach ourselves from them. But we must limit screen time because of its many negative impacts. Life is not what we see on the screen. We should revive the culture of engaging with other beings physically.

Additionally, parents must take care of their children. They should involve their children in other activities, such as book reading or playing outside. They should not allow their children to screen for a long period of time. Also, they must keep bedrooms screen-free.