New Study Links Screen Time with Stress

Do you feel stressed after spending most of the day online?

New research says that constantly checking emails, WhatsApps, Instagram, browsing the web, and getting notifications is a habit called "online vigilance," a habit that is unsurprising, stresses people out.

A study published recently in Human Communication Research found a link between how much time people spent online and how stressed out they were.

Researchers say this online vigilance phenomenon refers to three things, which is when you constantly think about the online world, always take it in with an ever-present phone and multiple tabs open, as well as when you instantly react to notifications.

There is no denying the pandemic has increased our screen time, but researchers say that this rise could be stressful to our brains. This multi-tasking can overwhelm a brain’s attention centres, according to the results of three different studies conducted by researchers.

The authors explained: "We show that not only specific usage patterns such as multitasking but also a permanently connected mindset may have costs for users’ cognitive capacity, resulting in more stressful experiences in daily life."

Furthermore, the constant presence of a phone can make you ultra-sensitive to notification sounds and signals, which can cause feelings of guilt or stress if you don’t respond quickly.

Multiple studies also found that screen use of more than two hours a day was correlated with depressive symptoms. The reviewers found moderate evidence linking screen time to poorer quality of life, higher caloric intake, and less-healthy diets.