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As an adult I must spend at least 80+% of my time staring at a screen, but I'm guessing that will never be diagnosed as a problem and get its own article becaus

As an adult I must spend at least 80+% of my time staring at a screen, but I'm guessing that will never be diagnosed as a problem and get its own article because nobody cares when it comes to adults?

rexpop 7y ago
Right–that would be an indictment of the workplace, which is anathema in the US, especially on this forum.
- dev_dull 7y ago
  I think the issue is that the 50% screen time for teens is using apps that cause and reinforce anxiety and other diagnosable mental health issues. The teens by virtue of their age probably aren’t working, so I don’t that screen tune can be attributed to work requirements.
  - moneil971 7y ago
    Some have screens at school (Chromebooks or iPads), but even then, their weekdays should largely be screen free - which means they’re getting these hours in nights and weekends.
  - rexpop 7y ago
    > I think the issue is that the 50% screen time for teens is using apps that cause and reinforce anxiety and other diagnosable mental health issues. Like Slack and Jira?
- sh-run 7y ago
  Assuming someone sleeps 8 hours a night and spends 100% of their 40 hour a week job in front of a computer and no other time in front of a screen, that's about 36% of an adult's waking hours. My total screen time is higher than that, but that's largely my fault (although I do work 50+ hours a few weeks out of the year). If you work in tech your going to spend a lot of time in front of screens, likewise fishing guides spend a lot of time staring at water.
  - rexpop 7y ago
    You think that an 8-hour work-day has, at most, an 8-hour impact?
Mirioron 7y ago
What I find really interesting is that if this problem is so common, then won't the kids who don't spend so much time behind a screen be the odd ones out? I wonder what impact that is going to have on their life. Perhaps teens that spend all that time looking at screens will be better at looking at screens once they become adults?
- neap24 7y ago
  It’s possible that they are the odd ones out without “screen skills”. I’m actually betting that kids who spend most of their time away from screens will have some weird, competitive advantage in a future economy.
  - Mirioron 7y ago
    I would think that it's the opposite. I think the kids with significantly less screen time to no screen time will be like the people who never learned to drive. Doing many things is more difficult for them unless they're rich.
    - Faark 7y ago
      I don't think having a deeply engrained reflex to open youtube or tiktok or whatever the nanosecond you're start loosing attention on whatever you are currently doing will enrich peoples lives. Sure, some will use the tools productively. But most will fall victim to the most effective pleasure industry mankind has come up with so far.
      - joshuahughes 7y ago
        This totally nails it. My wife and I very carefully control our kids' (13 and 14) screen hours to make sure they're engaging with real people in the real world and not thoughtlessly pulling out a phone every two minutes. But even with restrictions, they manage about an hour of screen time a day, and they're still superbly capable at handling whatever device they happen to be using. They're in no way disadvantaged from a 'computer skills' POV.
TallGuyShort 7y ago
Yeah I spend most of my time in front of a screen too, but let's break down just a few of the ways that's a little better. First, my time on a screen is far more productive (the time mentioned in the headline excludes any school work). It's not occupied by social media or games, it's occupied by more meaningful communication with people, critical thinking, etc. It's also the most efficient way for me personally to make a living and provide the needs of life for multiple other people. I'd like to think I've chosen a job where I'm contributing meaningfully to the world and not just affecting the bottom line of my employer or my own checking account. When I'm not working, I do make it a point to not have my face in a screen. I spend time in stimulating and wholesome recreational activities with my kids, I get outside, I exercise. If you do have your face in a screen the whole time, I have bad news for you: you're probably missing out on some cool real life stuff, your wellness may be suffering, and there are articles about you using a screen too much [1]. People do care when it comes to adults, especially adults who need to be taking care of their kids more than being on their phone or paying attention to the road. [1] https://duckduckgo.com/?q=adults+time+on+their+phones&ia=web https://duckduckgo.com/?q=adults+time+on+their+phones&ia=web. There are even articles about how this is actually a disproportionate problem with adults.
- aeternum 7y ago
  Why do you feel your time in front of the screen is more meaningful? Building relationships and learning social skills is very important for teens. An increasing number of jobs and products will be in entertainment where attention is the currency. There are some very educational and meaningful youtube channels for example. Teens are spending half their hours in front of a screen so it sounds like there is a balance.
  - TallGuyShort 7y ago
    You believe most teens are spending a significant amount of time... On educational YouTube channels?
    - aeternum 7y ago
navigatesol 7y ago
>but I'm guessing that will never be diagnosed as a problem and get its own article because nobody cares when it comes to adults? First, a quick Google tells me there are plenty of articles written about too much screen time, generally. Second, teenagers are at a very vulnerable, formative time of their lives when this excessive screen time is occurring, with as yet unknown consequences.
tw04 7y ago
Probably because the mind is still changing significantly as a teenager. It’s why things like weed and alcohol are a far bigger issue for a 16 year old than a 50 year old when consumed at the same volume.
Akinato 7y ago
Honestly I would agree with that. I'm rarely not in front of a screen as an adult. Even if I were to go tech free on the weekends, the majority of my time would still be spent on a screen.

As an adult I must spend at least 80+% of my time staring at a screen, but I'm guessing that will never be diagnosed as a problem and get its own article because nobody cares when it comes to adults?

rexpop 7y ago

Right–that would be an indictment of the workplace, which is anathema in the US, especially on this forum.

dev_dull 7y ago
I think the issue is that the 50% screen time for teens is using apps that cause and reinforce anxiety and other diagnosable mental health issues. The teens by virtue of their age probably aren’t working, so I don’t that screen tune can be attributed to work requirements.
- moneil971 7y ago
  Some have screens at school (Chromebooks or iPads), but even then, their weekdays should largely be screen free - which means they’re getting these hours in nights and weekends.
- rexpop 7y ago
  > I think the issue is that the 50% screen time for teens is using apps that cause and reinforce anxiety and other diagnosable mental health issues. Like Slack and Jira?
sh-run 7y ago
Assuming someone sleeps 8 hours a night and spends 100% of their 40 hour a week job in front of a computer and no other time in front of a screen, that's about 36% of an adult's waking hours. My total screen time is higher than that, but that's largely my fault (although I do work 50+ hours a few weeks out of the year). If you work in tech your going to spend a lot of time in front of screens, likewise fishing guides spend a lot of time staring at water.
- rexpop 7y ago
  You think that an 8-hour work-day has, at most, an 8-hour impact?

Mirioron 7y ago

What I find really interesting is that if this problem is so common, then won't the kids who don't spend so much time behind a screen be the odd ones out? I wonder what impact that is going to have on their life. Perhaps teens that spend all that time looking at screens will be better at looking at screens once they become adults?

neap24 7y ago
It’s possible that they are the odd ones out without “screen skills”. I’m actually betting that kids who spend most of their time away from screens will have some weird, competitive advantage in a future economy.
- Mirioron 7y ago
  I would think that it's the opposite. I think the kids with significantly less screen time to no screen time will be like the people who never learned to drive. Doing many things is more difficult for them unless they're rich.
  - Faark 7y ago
    I don't think having a deeply engrained reflex to open youtube or tiktok or whatever the nanosecond you're start loosing attention on whatever you are currently doing will enrich peoples lives. Sure, some will use the tools productively. But most will fall victim to the most effective pleasure industry mankind has come up with so far.
    - joshuahughes 7y ago
      This totally nails it. My wife and I very carefully control our kids' (13 and 14) screen hours to make sure they're engaging with real people in the real world and not thoughtlessly pulling out a phone every two minutes. But even with restrictions, they manage about an hour of screen time a day, and they're still superbly capable at handling whatever device they happen to be using. They're in no way disadvantaged from a 'computer skills' POV.

TallGuyShort 7y ago

Yeah I spend most of my time in front of a screen too, but let's break down just a few of the ways that's a little better. First, my time on a screen is far more productive (the time mentioned in the headline excludes any school work). It's not occupied by social media or games, it's occupied by more meaningful communication with people, critical thinking, etc. It's also the most efficient way for me personally to make a living and provide the needs of life for multiple other people. I'd like to think I've chosen a job where I'm contributing meaningfully to the world and not just affecting the bottom line of my employer or my own checking account. When I'm not working, I do make it a point to not have my face in a screen. I spend time in stimulating and wholesome recreational activities with my kids, I get outside, I exercise. If you do have your face in a screen the whole time, I have bad news for you: you're probably missing out on some cool real life stuff, your wellness may be suffering, and there are articles about you using a screen too much [1]. People do care when it comes to adults, especially adults who need to be taking care of their kids more than being on their phone or paying attention to the road. [1] https://duckduckgo.com/?q=adults+time+on+their+phones&ia=web https://duckduckgo.com/?q=adults+time+on+their+phones&ia=web. There are even articles about how this is actually a disproportionate problem with adults.

aeternum 7y ago
Why do you feel your time in front of the screen is more meaningful? Building relationships and learning social skills is very important for teens. An increasing number of jobs and products will be in entertainment where attention is the currency. There are some very educational and meaningful youtube channels for example. Teens are spending half their hours in front of a screen so it sounds like there is a balance.
- TallGuyShort 7y ago
  You believe most teens are spending a significant amount of time... On educational YouTube channels?
  - aeternum 7y ago

navigatesol 7y ago

>but I'm guessing that will never be diagnosed as a problem and get its own article because nobody cares when it comes to adults? First, a quick Google tells me there are plenty of articles written about too much screen time, generally. Second, teenagers are at a very vulnerable, formative time of their lives when this excessive screen time is occurring, with as yet unknown consequences.

tw04 7y ago

Probably because the mind is still changing significantly as a teenager. It’s why things like weed and alcohol are a far bigger issue for a 16 year old than a 50 year old when consumed at the same volume.

Akinato 7y ago

Honestly I would agree with that. I'm rarely not in front of a screen as an adult. Even if I were to go tech free on the weekends, the majority of my time would still be spent on a screen.