The small change Top 10 DAILY Countdown to Wellness: Tip # 2: Two hours completely screen-free

“I’m more worried about the dangers of natural stupidity than artificial intelligence.” Yuval Noah Harari

Imagine a not-so-distant future, say 2040, where digital devices have become an even bigger part of young people’s lives. Instead of exploring the outdoors, many kids spend more time inside, choosing screens over sunshine and fresh air. They have little to no social skills. Their communication is centered on emojis and short texts rather than face-to-face chats; their sense of self-worth tied to likes, dislikes, and comments. They choose playing with avatars over forming meaningful relationships. Many have lost their ability to stay present, tolerate discomfort, practice patience, and focus for long periods. Physically, they show signs of poor posture and declining health - obesity, asthma, and allergy rates are soaring, not to mention other conditions commonly attributed to sedentary lifestyles. At the same time, feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness grow as real-world connections slowly fade.

Ask yourself: "Is this the world you want for your kids - or for yourself?"

Excessive screen time began with television in the 1950s, with a turning point in 1984, when the American Academy of Pediatrics issued its first statement after evidence showed children spent more time watching TV (around 25 hours weekly) than attending school. The two main issues back then were physical health problems and exposure to potentially harmful content.

The introduction of home computers in the 1970s added a new dimension to screen time usage, followed by the 1990s internet explosion.  And in 2007 came the smartphone, a device that took screen time viewing from a fixed location and made it portable and constant. By 2023, 85% of American adults owned smartphones, and today, we average about 7 hours of screen time daily, with Gen Z spending around 9 hours.

Obviously, we like our smartphones, but what bothers me is that they have profoundly reshaped youth development, raising issues that extend far beyond physical health concerns of the 1980s to serious mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression. In May 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on social media and youth mental health, warning that excessive screen time poses significant risks to children's psychological well-being and urging parents, policymakers, and tech companies to prioritize moderation and protective measures. Not much has changed.

The grim reality is we don't need to imagine 2040—we’re already living it!

Unrestricted screen time is no longer a conversation of "how much?" – it’s about ending this greed-driven, uncontrolled experiment on innocent, developing minds before a generation of youth who never knew life without constant digital stimulation loses the basic capacities that make them truly human.

If we adults don’t come to our senses and act quickly, we’ll have only ourselves to blame, and our youth to remind us of our negligence. So begin by making the small change: put your phones down for at least 2 hours every day - make it a family affair!

 The future begins now!  Be Well!

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