Rachel McCloskey estimates she spends about eight hours on her phone a day perusing social media and otherwise “doomscrolling” on apps like Instagram and TikTok. The experience often leaves her feeling unfulfilled, wishing she could channel her time and energy into more productive endeavors.
“I feel like I have so many goals and ambitions that I’m just not doing just because of time and energy and motivation,” said McCloskey, a senior journalism major. “And I just feel like, if I were to remove myself from social media and my phone a little bit more and focus on other things, I would actually get some of those things done.”
High screen time significantly affects students’ mental health and is closely linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression and stress, according to a February 2023 study by the National Center of Biotechnology Information.
College students are part of the demographic with the highest daily screen time usage — young adults between the ages of 16-24, on average, spend more than seven hours a day using their phones. Although work, school and social lives may often make it unrealistic for students to completely step away from their screens, they should try their best to reduce their time spent on phones and social media to improve their well-being.
Excessive social media use impacts multiple areas of students’ lives, including their mental health, self-esteem, sleep habits and academic performance, said Dr. Andrew Lee, senior director of Tuttleman Counseling Services.
“I would argue that it’s really the adolescent, young adult period that is most impacted [by social media] because that’s a time where that social comparison is happening,” Lee said. “You’re forming your views on yourself, you are forming your views on other people, how you fit in the matrix, so in that way I think [social media] has a significant impact at a very formative time.”
While social media can temporarily boost dopamine levels through likes and interactions, it can also trigger self-esteem issues when they don’t receive the validation they desire or when others on their feed make them feel insecure.
Social media users are constantly exposed to carefully curated content that showcases unattainable body types and unrealistic lifestyles. This can make users feel unhappy with their bodies and cause them to develop insecurities, according to the University of California, Davis Health.
“I feel like my phone knows when I’m feeling bad about something because then it will feed me content specifically for that,” McCloskey said. “I feel like my weight is something that I’ve been struggling with because I feel like it’s been changing a lot while I’m in college. I’m not in high school anymore, my body doesn’t look like that anymore. And then I’ll go on TikTok, and it’s just gym babes working out, video after video.”
Students must remind themselves that social media is often fabricated or only reflects the moments in someone’s life they want to share publicly. Comparison is unhealthy, and moving away from social media is a simple way to mitigate its impact on self-esteem.
Considerable screen time can also be a significant detriment to students’ sleep schedules and school performance. As individuals struggle to pull themselves away from their phones, they may be sacrificing valuable time that could be spent resting or engaging with academics — two crucial habits students must nurture throughout college.
Brooke Bales feels conflicted about spending time on social media and how it affects her productivity and focus.
“I always feel like I’m already struggling with discipline and procrastination,” said Bales, a senior communication studies major. “I want to get away from using [social media] because I know it’s just making the problems I already have so much worse.”
Individuals should reflect on what drives them to spend hours online and consider whether they do it because they want to or because it’s a method of distraction from their feelings or problems, Lee said.
Students can set healthy boundaries by establishing phone-free times, like before bed or in the morning, and setting goals to supplement screen time with other activities they enjoy, like hanging out with friends, reading or spending time outside.
Apps like “Forest” or “StayFree-Screen” allow users to set daily time limits on social media platforms, which can help students regulate their screen time.
Another way to reduce screen time is by rearranging the phone’s home screen to make specific applications harder to access. If students have to browse through different tabs and folders to access social media apps, this gives them time to think about why they are going online, Lee said.
While social media and phone use have their benefits, in excess, they can negatively affect students’ mental well-being and ability to manage their time. With a few simple changes, individuals can mitigate their phone use and reap the benefits of lessened screen time.
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