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STEM teacher Renee Powell won a classroom makeover from Oak Ridge Associated Universities. She purchased $25,000 worth of new equipment for the classroom.
Gabriela Szymanowska, Wochit

Using screens is a big part of our leisure time and while not inherently dangerous, their use can affect how well we sleep and how strong our relationships are. 

Verizonspecials.com estimates Tennesseans 15 and older spend about one hour and 50 minutes of their leisure time a day looking at screens.

Pew Research finds 15-17 year-olds across the nation spend an average of two hours and 44 minutes on screens each weekday and close to four hours on screens a day on weekends.

Both sources used data from the American Time Use Survey, sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This survey asks people how they spend a 24-hour period of time. But interviewers do not directly ask about screen time. For example, online grocery shopping is categorized under grocery shopping, not an online activity, ATUS economist Rachel Krantz-Kent said. 

Verizonspecials.com used 2013-2017 data and Pew used 2014-2017 data. 

Accurately portraying screen time is “notoriously difficult,” according to Mike Brooks, licensed psychologist and co-author of “Tech Generation: Raising Balanced Kids in a Hyper-Connected World.”

This type of data is dependent on self-reporting where people sometimes feel embarrassed to report their actual amount of screen use. 

He said it’s important to not be alarmist about these counts because there are several benefits children and teens can have when it comes to using their screens.

“It’s complicated, people want simple answers to this,” Brooks said. But “all screen time is not equal.” 

Social media got you?: Here’s how to form a healthier relationship with it and when to retreat from it

How is cell phone time affecting children and teens? 

Regardless of the exact amount of time, experts say it’s important to protect your mental and physical health.

“The sky isn’t falling, screens offer many benefits, but balance is the key,” Brooks said.

About 39% of 12-18 year-olds in 2019 feel they spend too much time on their phones and tablets, as compared to 61% of teens in 2016, according to a Common Sense Media report.

But parents of the same teens surveyed felt differently. Fifty-two percent of parents said they themselves spend too much time on mobile devices, as compared to 29% in 2016.

It’s important to remember that the way people use technology has changed in those three years. Snapchat is now the most common social media tool used among 13- to 17-year-olds, according to a 2018 Common Sense Media report. A lower percentage of teens choose in-person communication as their preferred way to interact with friends as compared to 2012 teens.

What are Knox County Schools’ rules?

Schools have also embraced screen-based learning in differing capacities. In Knox County Schools, high school students can use personal communication devices before and after school, during lunch periods and during class change times.

Middle school students can use phones before and after school but must keep them turned off at other times.

Elementary school students can have devices on school property but the phones must be turned off and kept in backpacks all day.

At all grade levels, an instructor can give students permission to use their devices for academic reasons or another determined reason.

Using screens in the classroom can help students learn if they are engaged, interacting with the device and walking away with learned skills, according to Elizabeth MacTavish, clinical assistant professor of STEM education within the University of Tennessee’s College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.

MacTavish teaches an education technology course where she tries to empower aspiring teachers to use technology in a way that isn’t just “a glorified projector.”

But one challenge to effective tech use in the classroom is making sure teachers not only know how the technology works, but know how to create effective lessons using them. This includes professional development and training over time.

Like all lesson plans, teachers learn to adapt to what works best for themselves and their students. 

“I have seen teachers do really great things, really wonderful activities using their mobile devices,” MacTavish said.

Does screen-viewing hurt sleep? 

Screens often emitblue light that can alter your body’s internal sleep clock or “circadian rhythm.” Lights at night can also lessen the chances of your body releasing melatonin, a hormone helpful for restful sleep. 

Registered nurse and certified sleep educator Terry Cralle said American culture undervalues sleep. People make self-deprecating jokes like “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” and claim they can survive on less than the seven to nine recommended hours each night. 

“It’s really on the bottom of people’s to-do lists,” Cralle said. But “you really need to make time to get it.” 

That’s because sleep helps with cognitive function, stress management and weight management, said Cralle. 

A culture of urgency is one problem

Lane Morris is the associate dean of undergraduate studies and student affairs at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business and has researched work life balance.

Morris said he doesn’t know of a definitive amount of screen time that is inherently negative. But he said managing boundaries with your tech helps make sure it’s not managing you.

He said notifications can make it feel like everything is urgent, but not everything is. 

Cralle said a late-night notification from work may seem like a two-minute commitment, but could lead to your mind racing right before you’re trying to sleep. 

Both Cralle and Morris said people are also prone to enjoying a good distraction. While there’s nothing wrong with that, both said it can harm personal relationships such as when partners avoid talking about a personal issue and instead look at their phones right before bed. 

“Technology has become this buffer or shock observer,” Morris said.

Expert advice on how to manage tech

For families with children: 

  • Create a family bedtime routine free of screens. This could mean coloring together before bed or reading a bedtime story. 
  • Talk to your child about the importance of sleep before things are winding down. Cralle said setting expectations for core habits are important, but if you have that conversation earlier in the day when everyone has more energy and patience, there’s a less likely chance of a temper tantrum happening.
  • Find a way to make bedtime fun. Those moments before sleep can be good bonding moments. Something silly like letting kids pick the parents’ pajamas can be a good way to create positive memories about bedtime. For teens, consider having them charge their phones outside of their bedroom.
  • Use tech to help you manage tech: there are apps that can help you and your children manage screen time, but MacTavish found making a family media plan was a solution for her family. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a tool that allows you to calculate screen time use and set goals for your family.
  • Cut yourself a break, MacTavish said. She points out that previous generations didn’t have handheld devices at their fingertips; today’s families are the guinea pigs when it comes to mobile screen time. But even before smartphones were popular, kids were waking up on Saturday mornings to watch hours of cartoons. The bottom line? Parents are learning what works best for their own families. 

For adults: 

  • Cralle suggests finding something you like to do that helps you wind down. This could be reading, knitting, journaling or even listening to a soothing podcast with a phone timer on.
  • Use a timer. If you’re listening to a podcast before bed, use a timer to automatically turn the episode off so you don’t have to glance at notifications before bed. Phones also have options where you can set individual limits for certain apps if you feel like you need a gentle reminder. 
  • Find ways to connect with loved ones away from screens. Morris recommends families make meals a phone-free zone. 
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