DIGITAL DETOX: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF REDUCING SCREEN TIME ON MENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

The digital age has seen long hours in front of the screens through smartphones, computers, tablets, and other digital platforms as a normal way of life. As much as the digital technology has promoted communication, productivity, and access to information, there has been an increasing concern of the effect of excessive screen time on mental health and psychological well-being. Recent studies show significant correlations that exist between extended screen-time and a heightened degree of stress, anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders, and diminished emotional control. To address these anxieties, the idea of digital detox, a conscious decrease or short-term screen time, has become the focus of focus as one of the possible measures of enhancing a better psychological condition.