Abstract
Higher screen time exposure relates to increased physiological and social anxiety levels within university students, and the majority of their screen time is within leisure occupations. OTs can utilize this information when educating clients about strategies to decrease anxiety.
Primary Author and Speaker: Barbra Katerberg, OTR/L
Additional Authors and Speakers: Casey Humphrey
Contributing Authors: Aaron Sciascia
Anxiety disorders, as a group, are one of the most prevalent mental health conditions that currently affect 40 million adults in the United States ages 18 and older. From 58 universities around the United States, 23.5% of college students reported that they possess the diagnosis of anxiety. The substantial prevalence of anxiety impacts university students among many other populations. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between screen time exposure and anxiety levels in university students. With the rapid advancement of technology, university students are spending more time on devices to partake in occupations such as education, work, and leisure. Recent studies have found that individuals over the age of 20 with over six hours of exposure were negatively impacted. Limited studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship of screen time exposure and levels of anxiety in university students. A convenience sample of 140 university students was collected to complete this exploratory study. Students completed two questionnaires—the Adult Manifest Anxiety Scale for College Students (AMAS-C) to measure levels of anxiety and the Survey of College Students Occupations to measure amount of screen time exposure per week along with the reason for exposure. The quantitative data was analyzed using excel software. Our findings suggest that the average time spent in front of a screen on weekdays and weekends was 5.8 and 5.9 hours, respectively. Students who reported spending 6 hours a day or more in front of a screen showed increased physiological and social anxiety levels, compared to those with less than 6 hours. Increased time spent in front of a screen can lead to a decreased bodily ability to manage stress, due to decreased body movement throughout the day, as well as a decreased amount of time interacting with others. Additionally, university students spend the majority of their screen time exposure within leisure based occupations, compared to school and work, and showed higher worry/oversensitivity, test, and total anxiety. Occupational therapists can apply these findings when educating clients within mental health, or consulting clients on recommended use of time and prevention of anxiety in these categories. This information can be used as a guide for occupational therapy practitioners to recognize which occupations utilize a screen most frequently for university aged clients, and educate them on time management.
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