Wanna increase your chances of being anxious, depressed, and dissatisfied with life?
Spend more time on screens.
A study of over two hundred thousand people published in The Psychiatric Quarterly found that “heavy” screen time and digital media use – 5+ hours per day – was correlated with decreased happiness, lower self-esteem, and dissatisfaction with life.
And this wasn’t just limited to social media; passive media consumption – like having the news on in the background or scrolling feeds to kill time – also had negative impacts on mental health.
The more time we spend on screens, the more likely we’ll be exposed to negativity, or compare ourselves to others on social media, or just downright overload our brains with information.
I can hear my fellow tech workers nervously laughing in the distance…
So… are we doomed?
Thankfully not. The study’s findings have a silver lining.
“Light” users of screens and digital media – less than 1 hour per day – reported the highest levels of well-being. This was even higher than people who didn’t use screens at all.
As with most things… The poison is in the dose.
When I work with my coaching clients at Google or in other tech companies, one of their biggest sources of stress is how much time they’re on their computers, smartphones, and digital media overall.
- They wake up and check their phones.
- They scroll or respond to emails on their commutes.
- They work on their laptops from 9 to 5.
- They take their phones to lunch and scroll social media to “take a mental break.”
- They scroll on their phones on their commute home.
- They put YouTube or TV on passively in the background while making dinner.
- And they check their phones all the way up to just before bed.
By the way, I’ve 100% been guilty of this behavior, too.
8 years ago, it got so bad that I compulsively deleted my Instagram account – data and all – to go cold turkey.
So, what can we do to reduce our screen time and improve our happiness, well-being, and feel more satisfied with our lives?
Here are a few habits that have helped my clients sleep better, stress less, and feel great:
To sleep better, use a wind-down routine that includes turning off screens at least 30m before bed.
To lower stress, especially during the workday, step away from your screens for 3-5 minutes, sit somewhere quiet, and breathe deeply.
To totally “reset,” close your laptop, turn off your phone, and go for a walk, read, or spend time on a hobby.
Today, try and spend a bit less time on screens, even if it’s just 5 minutes. Your happiness, well-being, and life will thank you.
Now, log off and enjoy your day.
Ian
Ian Estabrook 