Directions (): Read the following passage and answer the given questions based on the information provided in the passage.
With the advancement of digital technology, excessive screen time has become a grave concern. This has pushed researchers and practitioners to focus on digital well-being. Screen time during COVID-19 has further increased as a result of public health measures enforced by governments to curb the pandemic. A lack of comprehensive empirical overviews on screen time in the COVID-19 era in the present literature prompted us to conduct this review. The present review attempts to understand the virtual social connectedness, excessive use of digital technology, its consequences and suggest strategies to maintain healthy use of digital technology. Though there are mixed consequences of prolonged screen time use and blurred understanding between healthy and unhealthy social connectedness over digital media, the suggestions for negative implications on (physical and) mental health warrant a strict need for inculcating healthy digital habits, especially knowing that digital technology is here to stay and grow with time.
The last two decades have seen a thriving future in the use of digital technology. It has accelerated human exposure to prolonged bright screen which is becoming a growing concern. Digital technology is essentially the use of electronic devices to store, generate or process data; it facilitates communication and virtual interactions on social media platforms using the internet. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to rely on digital networks as their only method of maintaining a socio-emotional connection, but it has also made it a shallow one. Digital technology is influencing how people use digital devices to maintain, or avoid social relations or how much time to spend on virtual social connectedness. Screen time refers to the amount of time spent and the diverse activities performed online using digital devices. For instance, screen time encompasses both, using digital devices for work purposes as well as for leisure and entertainment.
The COVID-19 pandemic came with restrictions, regulations and stay-at-home orders. Many individuals could not return to their homes, many stuck in foreign lands and many in solitude. As a result, the usage of digital devices has increased manifold across the globe. The addiction to the digital devices has started to run in the genes of individuals. Irrespective of age, people are pushed to rely on digital platforms. Education, shopping, working, meeting, entertaining and socializing suddenly leaped from offline to online. Here, digital technology came as a blessing in disguise, enabling individuals to remain emotionally connected despite social distancing. At the same time, prolonged screen time has caused concerns related to its impact on physical and mental health. While mindful use of digital devices is linked with well-being, excessive screen time is reported to be associated with a range of negative mental health outcomes such as psychological problems, low emotional stability, and a greater risk for depression or anxiety.