Increased Screen Time on Mental Health or Education During Quarantine

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Effects of Increased Screen Time on Mental Health or Education During Quarantine
There lacks a general definition of screen time, and most studies and groups that have investigated the subject matter tend to come up with their own definitions. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) defines screen time as the interval spent on a screen except when interacting with familiar adults CITATION Pap20 \l 1033 (Pappas). Because of the lockdown measures, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the number of hours children spend on digital devices. The increased use of electronic devices has raised concerns about prolonged screen time's psychological and academic impacts on children. This paper will review several online sources on the subject matter using critical thinking terms from Judith Boss' book THiNK. It theorizes that not all screen time has an adverse impact on mental health or studies and advises parents to help children establish a balance between using digital devices and doing other activities. Screen time is neither good nor bad but requires a balance with other non-screen activities such as studies, play, social interaction, and sleep.
The article "Electronic Device Use in The Time of COVID-19" by Krithika Venkatasubramanian and Aparna Ramasubramanian investigates screen time's effect on the eye. Ethos and logos are the two primary rhetorical devices used in the articles. The two authors establish their credibility by their credentials. Venkatasubramanian is a pediatric ophthalmologist and the medical director of the Phoenix Children's retinoblastoma program, and Ramasubramanian is her research assistant. They also use logos as a rhetorical device to convince the audience of their arguments using facts and figures. When highlighting the temporary and permanent afflictions associated with excessive screen time, they accompany their arguments with previous studies and their findings. For instance, when showing the relation between screen time and Asthenopia, they cite one study that investigated the ophthalmological impacts of electronic device use on 576 school-age children between the ages of 11 and 17. This study revealed 18 percent of the children reported eyestrain after prolonged use of digital devices CITATION Ven20 \l 1033 (Venkatasubramanian and Ramasubramanian). Asthenopia, also known as computer vision syndrome, is caused by accommodative insufficiency, improper lighting, accommodative insufficiency, or an imbalance in the extraocular muscles. Most children fail to observe the correct reading distance during screen time, thus the eye strain.
The use of logos as a rhetorical device is evident throughout the paper as the authors show the various visual-related problems linked to electronic device use. However, the authors fail to mention the research designs or assumptions used in the studies they quote, or even other studies that conflict with their arguments. It isn't easy to verify the integrity of the studies mentioned in the paper as support sources. The article is guilty of several fallacies (hasty generalization and cherry-picking) because it generalizes all excessive screen time leading to ophthalmological complications and only focuses on those studies that hold this position. Even though the article reports several visual-related problems associated with screen time that may inadvertently affect children's academic performance, it is impractical to cut off the use of digital devices for children entirely. Instead, a balance must be achieved between screen time, studies, play, social interaction, and sleep. Parents should impose particular periods at which children unplug and engage in other critical non-screen activities, especially sleep and study.
Claire Williams, a fifth-year resident in Brown University's triple board residency program, investigates the effects of screen time on the mental health of minors in her article, "Screen Time and Mental Health: No Easy Solutions." The article employs ethos and pathos as the two primary rhetorical devices. She establishes her credibility and authority as an author in the subject matter since she is a scholar specializing in those mental health issues affecting children and adolescents. Besides the use of ethos as a rhetorical device, she employs pathos in several instances. For example, she starts the article by narrating her experiences in the mental health field. These often involve talking with parents and children about screen time, bonding with patients over their favorite movies, and helping both parents, as well as patients, create limits around the use of electronic devices when they are affecting the patient's functioning and well-being. Williams presents herself as an empathetic professional who tries to understand her patients and not a cold and distant mental health specialist.
The article expands on previous studies that have reported a positive correlation between excessive screen time and certain mental health complications such as depression, emotional instability, and anxiety. However, unlike other studies that fail to recognize the positive elements of digital devices, the article makes a distinction between "good" screens and "bad" screens. While highlighting the various ways, excessive screen time is related to poorer school outcomes, slower development, lower self-esteem, and reduced overall well-being. The article also highlights several child development activities that help with emotional regulation, literacy, and social interaction. There are numerous instances when the use of digital devices can be classified as "high-quality" screen time. These instances are not restricted to watching educational or developmentally appropriate content but also include time spent in interactive and social contexts. When discussing the adverse impacts of screen time on mental health or education, it is important to consider some of its benefits and refrain from branding the use of digital devices as harmful to children.
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