Research Article
Abstract
Digital
technology use has surged, especially among younger generations, raising
concerns about its impact on health. This study examined the effects of
increased screen time on the health of college students in Gujarat, India. A
random sample of 452 students (ages 17-23) from urban and rural backgrounds
participated in a Google Forms survey covering socio-demographic data, screen
time, physical health, mental health (depression, anxiety, mood swings), and
sleep quality. Among participants, 98.89% used mobile phones, 78.09% watched
television, 73.67% used laptops, and 54.20% used tablets. Notably, 10.42% spent
over 8 hours daily on mobile devices. Many primarily used screens for academic
work and social media. While 52.22% had a normal body weight, 34.07% were
underweight, and 13.71% were overweight, possibly due to screen use during
meals. Common physical issues included body aches, eye strain, and sleep
disturbances, while mental health concerns involved insomnia, anxiety, and
depression. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) revealed that 44.46% had
poor sleep quality (PSQI ≥5), with an average score of 4.53 ± 2.32. Overall,
excessive screen time negatively affected both physical and mental health.
Promoting balanced screen use and increased physical activity is essential for
improving student well-being.
Keywords
Digital technology, social media, smart phone, screen time, college students, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, physical activity, radiation.
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This work is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution
4.0
License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Abstract
Digital
technology use has surged, especially among younger generations, raising
concerns about its impact on health. This study examined the effects of
increased screen time on the health of college students in Gujarat, India. A
random sample of 452 students (ages 17-23) from urban and rural backgrounds
participated in a Google Forms survey covering socio-demographic data, screen
time, physical health, mental health (depression, anxiety, mood swings), and
sleep quality. Among participants, 98.89% used mobile phones, 78.09% watched
television, 73.67% used laptops, and 54.20% used tablets. Notably, 10.42% spent
over 8 hours daily on mobile devices. Many primarily used screens for academic
work and social media. While 52.22% had a normal body weight, 34.07% were
underweight, and 13.71% were overweight, possibly due to screen use during
meals. Common physical issues included body aches, eye strain, and sleep
disturbances, while mental health concerns involved insomnia, anxiety, and
depression. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) revealed that 44.46% had
poor sleep quality (PSQI ≥5), with an average score of 4.53 ± 2.32. Overall,
excessive screen time negatively affected both physical and mental health.
Promoting balanced screen use and increased physical activity is essential for
improving student well-being.
Abstract Keywords
Digital technology, social media, smart phone, screen time, college students, Pittsburgh sleep quality index, physical activity, radiation.
This work is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution
4.0
License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Editor-in-Chief
This work is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
License.(CC BY-NC 4.0).