A recent study by a company in the United States came up with some impressive numbers. Indeed, an average American adult would spend about 44 years behind the screens, that is to say two thirds of his life! This study reminds us that spending so much time on these devices can have many health consequences.
First of all, you should know that the study in question in this article should be taken with a grain of salt. Mentioned in an article in the New York Post on June 3, 2020, it was conducted in the United States by Vision Direct, a British company specializing in the sale of contact lenses. After surveying 2,000 people in this country, Vision Direct estimated the time spent in front of screens by an average American adult at 44 years. It is about 6,259 hours per year , a total of 382,652 hours over the average lifespan of a 60.7-year-old adult. In other words, continuing at this rate, the average American adult would spend virtually two-thirds of their life in front of a screen ! In 2019, another study conducted by the Nielsen Institute already showed that fifty-somethings and over spent more than twelve hours a day there.
concluded that Americans over the age of 50 spent on average just over ten hours a day in front of screens. The youngest devote even less time to it.
According to the survey, here is the detail on a day :5h in front of the computer, 4h33 on the smartphone, 4h30 in front of the television, 3h12 on video games. In total, Americans would spend 17 hours a day in front of the screens! Vision Direct even mentions 19 hours a day during confinement. These figures seem exaggerated all the same insofar as many people have a job. Moreover, it is possible to wonder whether a sample of 2,000 people is sufficient.
Regardless of the nature of the survey, this is an opportunity to remember that many people spend too much time on screens . However, this can have consequences on mental health and eyesight. In October 2019, a British doctor mentioned a link between mental health disorders and the time spent on screens. In addition, the American National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimated in 2018 that prolonged exposure over time could modify the brain of children. Thus, in April 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised children under the age of 2 to avoid exposure to screens.
Finally, how to talk about time spent on screens and not talk about blue light? Several studies have in the past identified blue light as an endocrine disruptor , affecting in particular the quality of sleep. In 2018, Spanish researchers explained how blue light could be an accelerator of blindness. According to the study, it is a risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) , a disease of the retina usually affecting people between the ages of 50 and 60.
