The Importance Of Limiting Screen Time In College

Cell phone and computer addictions destroy the college experience. 

While these devices provide ways to communicate with family members and document memories, they also cause students to struggle with their priorities — such as coursework, maintaining friendships and getting quality sleep.   

Attempting to complete assignments thoroughly while distracting notifications light up your device is no easy task. 

These unhealthy relationships with technology lead to procrastination; doomscrolling TikTok and binging Netflix shows often take center stage, even when our academic commitments are at stake.  

We are all guilty of paying more attention to our phone screens instead of starting an assignment. So how can students combat the constant allure of easy entertainment? 

In order to conquer the temptation of technology, students should completely remove their phones from their workspace and exit any tabs on their laptops that are unrelated to their assignment. Then they can complete the assignment without any distractions and focus on comprehending the material at hand.  

According to Greater Good Magazine, secondary schools in the U.K. banned technological devices from the classroom and found that students were able to increase their levels of focus on their work and achieve higher test scores. This success is the direct result of clearing potential distractions from the academic workspace. 

Class work is not the only thing technology negatively impacts. Friendships could also be at risk due to students’ increased reliance on their devices.  

Most college students strive for long-lasting friendships, but they could be at risk of being undercut by the draw of online dependency. Good communication often grinds to a halt when the content on a device puts a person in their own self-absorbed bubble. 

Imagine if you were to meet a friend for coffee in Montview Student Union, and instead of conversing, you both spend the entire time on social media. This would impede any personal development and any growth for your friendship that could’ve occurred during your time together, forgoing the fellowship relationships must experience to create a solid foundation.  

According to Spark and Stitch Institute, the word “technoference” describes how people use devices to avoid talking to others, either accidentally or intentionally. This has a direct connection to the inability to foster meaningful relationships that are supposed to be foundational parts of our lives. 

Another thing often ruined by the over-usage of technology are healthy sleep schedules. College students rarely get enough sleep as it is, and spending time squinting at a phone until 3 a.m. will likely destroy the quality of the little sleep students allow themselves.  

As they scroll through texts, emails, social media and selfies, students miss out on the sleep that is necessary for a successful, productive day of learning. A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body; while scrolling late into the night might feel like rest, mental exhaustion is an inevitable byproduct of this habit. 

According to Greater Good Magazine, sleep deprivation occurs from the blue light that comes from phone screens and delays the production of melatonin in the brain. The later a person is on their device, the longer it will take for them to fall asleep, oftentimes resulting in exhaustion and anxiety.   

Students who are responsible for a full academic workload should rely less on several coffees and energy drinks to stay awake just to be able to scroll later on a phone, and instead find a healthier balance with seven to eight hours of sleep per night.  

When we choose to put our devices aside, life runs at a more peaceful pace. We become successful in our academic goals, sustain our friendships and are able to maintain a positive sleep schedule.  

Two Bible verses come to mind that can challenge us as believers to be present in the moments God so graciously gives to us.  

Proverbs 4:25 says, “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.” 

Sanford is an opinion reporter for the Liberty Champion.