In this edition of the VOX Bubble we asked teens to share their opinion on what they felt was a healthy amount of screen time. We heard from teens all over the Atlanta area who shared different perspectives. Some said they spent most of their time on a screen for school, while others said they spend it scrolling on social media. What do you think? Leave your opinion in the comments section!
Bailey, 17, Westlake High School: This may be way lower than what other people may think, but I would say probably around five or six hours. There’s 12 hours during the day where we’re usually awake and we’re supposed to be up and doing things. If you think about it, we’re supposed to get a certain amount of sleep as teenagers. I get around six or seven personally.So I would say I would say five or six hours of screen time would be healthy.
Jada, 15, Brookwood High School: I agree. Because with school you have to have your laptop out a lot of the time and half of the stuff we do is online. My average screen time right now is 7.5 hours, so that’s not that bad.
Reagan, 15, Chamblee High School: Five hours [is healthy]. Seven takes up more than a fourth of your day.
Mya, Georgia State University: From a college point of view I feel like mines would be a little bit more because when you guys are at school you have those time blocked out. But I don’t have classes everyday. And sometimes I’m in class for maybe an hour and then the professor doesn’t go the whole time every day. So am I on this phone? Absolutely. So it takes the will in me to be like, “all right, I’m gonna put the phone down.”
Desmond, 17, Westlake High School: Mine screen time right now is 14 hours and 39 minutes. But I’ll be working on my phone and I think it counts my Macbook times too.
Rebecca, 17, Tucker High School: Five hours since school assignments are powered by online platforms now. I don’t think it is healthy for a teen to be on their phone more than 2-3 hours, but school work has to be accounted for as well. I spend about five to six hours on a screen everyday. I would say about 2.5 hours of that time is on my chromebook or laptop completing school work, but the rest of that time is usually when I’m distracted on my phone and I’m using some form of social media.
Mya: Is there really even a way around it? Because in today’s society you use the phone for everything like playing music or like Desmond said, working. I’m actually not even being bad, I’m being productive.
Rebecca: I think a healthy about of screen time is so hard to judge now because our world is surrounded by technology and our society has become so dependent on it. All I can say is to learn your limits and to discover something productive you enjoy to do that doesn’t require technology. This way, you get a chance to have a break from screens, but you’re still able to have fun!
What do you think? Leave your opinion in the comments section or take the survey below!
