Guilty of watching too much content? Your screen time's disturbing effect on mental health revealed

The survey demonstrated a disturbing connection between media consumption and deteriorating mental health.

The more we obsess over what’s happening in our screens, the more we sink into the dark hole of despair. A new study, led by Talker Research, studied the number of days in a month that is lost to scrolling digital content. The study was conducted on 2000 Americans to find that an average person loses three days in a year to scrolling. For younger people, the results are worse, as they lose almost five days in a month to scrolling and bingeing content on their screens.

Media consumption and poor mental health

The survey showed that an average American consumes six hours of content per day, while a Gen Z American consumes close to seven hours. This overconsumption of media content can lead to pangs of guilt. An average American has three pangs of guilt in a month, the survey stated.

Th survey split participants based on their self-reported responses related to their mental health. It was observed that 19% of the participants who said that they have very poor mental health, consumed media content for at least 15 days in a month. People who self-reported good mental health condition, demonstrated losing fewest days to media consumption.

The survey also observed a disturbing connection between media consumption and mental health. It was seen that people who consumed media more, reported feeling guilt for overconsuming media and feeling stressed because of something they saw on the internet.

Among the participants, the Gen Z Americans agreed that they watched too much of digital content. 38% of the participants who self-reported of having very poor mental health were also the ones who were on TikTok regularly.

Dr. Sham Singh, a Harbor UCLA-trained psychiatrist at Winit Clinic, in an interview with StudyFinds, offered three tips to manage screen time and overconsumption of media. He suggested implementing a tech-free zone in the house that can help us to focus on other things. He also suggested journaling to understand our content consumption, and setting phone-free intentions to stay focused.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.