The psychological impact of technology on BYU-I Students

The psychological impact of technology on BYU-I Students

 

BYU-Idaho

Valerie Smith, I.T. Research and Department Manager

 

4 November 2021

 

 

Introduction

With access to electronic devices, a huge number of parents and professionals are concerned about the negative impact technology brings to the youth at home, church, or school. This trend is increasing globally with the rapid change in technology. A decade ago in a U.S. sample of 8 to 18-year-olds, the average ‘total screen time’ was reported at 7.5 hours a day (Journals Plos, 2020). In today’s world, electronic devices are the best companionship of the majority of the youth. Although there are some benefits in using electronic devices such as forging new connections and gaining access to information, it is imperative that parents, leaders, and researchers understand the best ways to guide the youth on the pros and cons of screen time.

In recent research, it was reported that American teenagers spend an average of more than seven hours per day on screen media for entertainment, and Tweens spend nearly five hours (Tweens and Tens, 2020). And in another report, 95% of U.S. teens say they have access to a smartphone, and 45% self-report that they are “almost constantly” on the internet (Pew Research Center, 2018). The absence of electronic devices leads to the youth being upset, feeling lonely, or anxious in more than half of teens thus having lower psychological well-being.

This report addresses a concern expressed by the Brigham Young University-Idaho (BYU-I) regarding the recent news report on screen time leading to anxiety and depression among its students. The report aims to prove whether or not the data collected will lead the Humanities Department to implement a wellness campaign. Based on the research provided, a wellness campaign will be beneficial to students as the best solution for them to manage their screen time and benefit from other interactive activities.

 

Methods

Online Survey:

With a total enrollment of 21,142 campus-based students for the Spring 2021 semester, the study was conducted from students belonging to the College of Computer Science and Engineering, which enrolls over 4,000 students in four departments. The main reason for selecting this College is the fact that they use computers in most of their class practical.

Freshmen and sophomores were selected in this survey and a total of 900 (141 male and 486 female students) representing 22.5% of the sample population of students were able to respond online via a survey website created for the mentioned purpose.

The survey form included the questions considering the individual daily time for watching Television, using a computer and the Internet, gender, age, and technological opportunities in his/her residence. The survey form was completed anonymously and administered to the students via the BYU-I LMIS survey with the self-report method.  

Results

The report concluded that students spent on average 4.5 hours per day consuming media, including live TV, smartphone apps, and radio. The most crucial element of our findings is that there’s an association between screen time and mental health for students. The screen time was longer on weekends than it was on weekdays for both genders. The descriptive statistics related to screen time (watching television, connected to the internet with smartphones, playing video games, and using computers) are presented in Table 1.

 

Table 1.

These students who are involved more with screen time saw a decrease of two letter grades on their final exams compared to peers who didn’t spend the extra time on electronic devices. Other than those findings, screen time did not have an impact on risky driving, substance abuse, or eating disorder prevalence.

Our study showed that three-quarters of teenagers on campus (18-19 years old) own a smartphone, 24% of adolescents are constantly connected to the internet and 50% admitted to being addicted to their phones. 

Discussion

    This study has found that screen time is one of the major indicators of well-being imbalance in the lives of students. According to the report, the overall sample had a longer screen time on weekdays than at the weekend. In the United States, the average number of daily hours spent on TV watching is 5 (Grontved & Hu, 2011). Considering BYU-I students, the average dedicates 2 hours per day to watching television (Fountaine et al., 2011). Although there is no strict guideline on the quantity of screen time leading to health risk, the sedentary behavior guidelines for children and adolescents recommend no more than 2 hours of screen time per day. As previously mentioned, screen time must be considered as one of the inactivity indicators among BYU-I students and a potential threat to their health.

The report also found that male students had longer screen time than female students, with most of the difference coming from the time spent on playing console video and computer games.  Female students living with their families help their mothers with chores whereas male students may be more engaged in watching TV and playing computer virtual reality. Female students may prefer other sedentary behaviors, such as having to chat with friends on the phone, doing homework, and reading a book.  

Spending too much time on digital devices has several health disadvantages such as Insomnia and Poor Sleep because of the light from screens that signals the brain to stay awake, and that constant input throughout the day can make it difficult to unwind at night. Eye strain and headaches, addictive behaviors, changes in cognition, and neck, shoulder, and back pain are among the health consequences of screen time.

Conclusion

This study focuses on the psychological impact screen time has on BYU-I students. It was found that male university students have higher screen time than female students. These results may be taken as a warning for all the students due to the fact that they show students’ tendency to survive with their digital devices. This report will help the BYU-I Humanities Department to take precautions in order to reduce the students’ screen time – therefore, decreasing potential health risks – and developing awareness. In their review “How to reduce sitting time?” Gardner, Smith, Lorencatto, Hamer, and Biddle (2016) suggested that intervention planners should consider using environmental restructuring and self-regulatory techniques, such as self-monitoring, problem-solving, and providing information on health consequences. 

Reference

SBRN. “What is sedentary behavior”. June 2021

https://www.sedentarybehaviour.org/what-is-sedentary-behaviour/. (Accessed 6 November 2021)

The University of Nevada. “Screen time recommendations”. N.d.

https://onlinedegrees.unr.edu/online-master-of-public-health/screen-time-recommendations-for-students-parents-and-teachers/. (Accessed 6 November 2021)

Caglar, Bilgili, Karaca and Deliceoglu. “Screen Time Differences among Turkish

University Students as an Indicator of Sedentary Lifestyle and Inactivity”. December 2017. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323247806_Screen_Time_Differences_among_Turkish_University_Students_as_an_Indicator_of_Sedentary_Lifestyle_and_Inactivity_Razlike_u_vremenu_provedenom_ispred_ekrana_izmedu_sveucilisnih_studenata_u_Turskoj_kao_p/download.ss (Accessed 6 November 2021)