Screen Time Usage Among Teenagers and Its Impact on Daily Life
With changing times and new technologies, screen addiction has become an issue that concerns parents,
educators and health professionals. A graph published by Statista (2023) shows average screen time
among teenagers steadily increasing in the United States over the years. It is quite clear from the chart
that in 2012, on average, each American teenager spent five hours on various screens such as
smartphone, computer and TV. By 2023, this figure had risen to about eight hours per day. Students like
me are a case in point in that enormous screen time has a great impact on many facets of life.
In this case, the data shown in the graph is quite personal since it relates to me as I spend a lot of time in
front of the laptop either doing my assignments or using it for fun. It is important to be able to shift the
attention from the academic performance and combine this with the leisure only up to a reasonable
extent; however, dedicating more than eight hours each day in and out of screens, as the chart describes
could bear depressant effects. Previous studies document evidence that a high amount of screen time
can result in poor sleep and concentration ability at school (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2023).
Hence, controlling my screen use has been very important in keeping healthy mentally as well as
physically.
Furthermore, it should be underlined that the graph also reflects negative information: not only
educational screen time is increasing, but the use of screens for entertainment purposes is also growing.
Reference
Statista. (2023). Average daily time spent with digital media in the United States from 2012 to 2023 (in
hours). Retrieved from [Statista website].
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2023). The effects of screen time on children and adolescents.
Retrieved from [AAP website].
