Digital habits: screen time and its impact on health and wellbeing: a descriptive study on the school aged population in a municipality in Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: screen time refers to the time of exposure to screen-based technological devices.

Methodogy: the objective of this study is to determine the screen time used recreationally by a group of children and adolescents in different educational centers in a Colombian city. An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between September and December 2023, which included a student population through a non-randomized, quota-based sample set in 325 records. There were 284 respondents included in the study; 41 records were eliminated because they did not meet the inclusion criteria.

Results: female gender (59.84%) was predominant, as well as the age range of 14 to 15 years. More than half spent more time on screen doing recreational activities than in school activities. Most respondents reported symptoms, predominantly anxiety, problems concentrating and sadness.

Discussion: despite the many positive effects, the increased use of these devices has been linked to deleterious effects, including increased sedentary activities, visual disturbances, poorer sleep quality, and cyberbullying.

Conclusions: the increase in screen time in all age groups, as well as the use of these devices from an early age, can have deleterious effects on children’s physical and psychological health.