As the pandemic wears on, so do our digital lives. Screens have become an integral feature of daily life, facilitating how we work, connect with loved ones, shop, order food and find entertainment.
While various lockdowns and states of emergency have become the “new normal” around the world, we have all retreated into our digital devices. Perhaps too eagerly: Numerous empirical studies have recorded a growing trend of screen time during COVID-19 — and the Apple Screen Time function has left many shocked at the amount of time they have racked up on their devices. The hours spent bingeing TV series, doomscrolling, election-watching, Zooming friends and family and watching endless TikTok videos add up.
Surely all of that screen time can’t be good for us. Studies show that heavy use of electronic devices before bed suppresses melatonin production, a hormone that helps balance the sleep cycle, and negatively impacts our sleeping patterns. A separate study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania provides evidence that using social media can also increase depression, anxiety and loneliness.