The Hidden Costs of Screen Time: Mental Health and Climate Wellbeing

Rachel Bailleau
Aug 27, 2025
4 min read

Updated: Sep 27, 2025

Screens are everywhere, from smartphones and laptops to tablets, TVs, and smartwatches. We rely on them for work, learning, connection, and entertainment. We use them as alarms to get up in the morning, as cameras to capture memories, as fitness trackers to monitor our heart rate, and as guides to navigate unfamiliar places.

Screens support our lives in amazing ways. However, excessive screen use has consequences for our mental and physical health. It can increase anxiety, get in the way of healthy relationships, and encourage us to make less ecologically responsible decisions. Let's take a closer look.

Mental and Physical Impacts of Screen Time

Excessive screen time can affect all of us. It has been linked to anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and reduced attention span. In children, it can even affect emotional understanding and development. In adults, it can make memory, focus, and stress management harder. For anyone already feeling climate anxiety, constant exposure to negative news or too much scrolling can make feelings of helplessness and despair worse. But how much is too much?

On average, adults spend around 7–8 hours a day on screens in total, including work. Outside of work, many people spend an additional 2–3 hours a day on screens for leisure, such as checking social media, streaming videos, scrolling through news feeds, or online shopping. If we aren't carefully choosing what kind of content we are absorbing, these online hours can feed anxiety and impulsive behaviours, including fast-fashion purchases that we later regret.

Spending excessive time on screens can also impact physical health, leading to eye strain, headaches, poor posture, and repetitive strain injuries in the hands, wrists, or shoulders.

Official Screen Time Limits

In the UK, official guidance is clear: children under two should have no screen time at all, including background TV. And for children aged 2–4, it’s best to limit screen time to no more than one hour a day, focusing on quality content and shared viewing. It’s also recommended that children don't have TVs or screens in their bedrooms to help protect sleep.

Studies have found that limiting children’s daily screen time to around two hours can support better memory, attention, and language skills. At the same time, more time on screens usually means less time outside, less physical activity, and fewer opportunities for creative play. Face-to-face socialising and outdoor activities are crucial for healthy development, so it’s essential to balance screen time with real-world interaction.

Simple steps can help: create screen-free zones and times, like during meals and before bed, and encourage children to get outside or engage in creative play. Adults can also benefit from taking breaks, engaging in physical movement, and spending time outdoors to counterbalance the negative effects of a screen-based lifestyle. These habits give both children and adults space to grow, explore, and thrive.

Screens and Environmental Responsibility

Tech is incredibly convenient, but it comes with an environmental cost. Manufacturing, powering, and disposing of devices all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, mining impacts, and growing amounts of e-waste.

Part of the problem is planned obsolescence. Many phones, laptops, and other electronics are designed to last only a few years. On average, a smartphone is used for around three years before being replaced, and laptops often last only four to five years. This constant cycle of upgrading fuels both environmental harm and unnecessary consumption.

Some ways to reduce the impact include:

Buying second-hand or reconditioned devices instead of brand new. If you go through an official site, you can be protected with a warranty.
Recycling old tech responsibly through certified programmes. This interactive map will help you find a UK drop-off point.
Repairing or upgrading your current devices. Screen replacements, battery swaps, or minor hardware upgrades are increasingly affordable. If a device feels slow or broken, visiting an IT shop for advice can be a better option than buying new.

Mindful Screen Habits for Mental Health and Climate Responsibility

Screens can be wonderful tools for learning, staying informed, or unwinding. They can help you identify plants, explore nature, read about climate solutions, or connect with like-minded communities. The key is using them intentionally, rather than letting them pull your attention constantly.

Here are some concrete strategies to maintain balance:

Set screen time limits on apps and devices to curb mindless scrolling.
Leave phones out of the bedroom. Use a separate alarm clock to improve sleep quality. Avoid nighttime scrolling, which can wake you and expose you to stressful content.
Silent mode with exceptions: Allow only certain people to call through if necessary.
No screens for an hour before bed: Read, journal, play a board game, or engage in other relaxing activities. This helps you wind down and avoid upsetting or anxiety-inducing content before sleep.
No screens at the dinner table: Studies show that even having screens on the table distracts from meaningful interactions.
Be intentional with TV: In my home, we don’t even have a TV. When we want to watch something, we use a laptop hooked up to a projector for a cinema-style movie night. If we had a TV, I know we'd stick it on more often without having something in particular we want to watch.
Create screen-free zones: Kitchens, dining areas, and bedrooms can be dedicated to human connection, play, and rest rather than passive screen use.

The Bigger Picture

Mindful screen use isn't about banning technology. It’s about using screens to enrich life, not drain it. Mindful use reduces anxiety, supports mental health and climate wellbeing, and encourages behaviours that align with your values. By being intentional, you can enjoy the benefits of technology while avoiding the pitfalls of overuse, impulsive buying, and environmental harm. So, what are you waiting for?

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