Copy editor Morgan Dreiss has severe ADHD and says they need to always be doing at least three things at once. The result is an average daily screen time of 18 hours and 55 minutes. According to a recent WIRED report, Dreiss is far from alone.
For years, studies have warned about the effects of excessive screen time on our physical and mental health. Yet a growing number of people are pushing back on that narrative.
Call them screenmaxxers. They are not trying to rack up hours on purpose, but they are on their screens pretty much all day, and they are not losing any sleep over it.
Is screen time a legitimate problem?
For many screenmaxxers, their devices are less of a bad habit and more of a lifeline. Corina Diaz, who lives two and a half hours from Toronto, works in video game marketing and relies on her screen to stay connected to the world outside her forested corner of Ontario. “I’ve always felt screens connected me to things I care about,” she says.
Daniel Rios, a programmer living in South America, uses Discord as his primary social outlet after many of his friends moved away. When he is not working, he is gaming or watching TV. Cutting back, he says, would just mean “being bored at home.”
Should we all stop worrying?
Not everyone is ready to go that far, but screenmaxxers make a fair point. Diaz believes the broader alarm around screen time is missing the real issues, which, according to her, and I completely agree, are isolation, overwork, and even addiction.
On a personal note, I believe apps like Instagram and TikTok are addictive. People might say that’s a sign of weak willpower, but I have spent countless hours scrolling through Instagram Reels to know that it’s designed to keep you trapped. No other form of media has managed to keep me on its platform for as long as short-form content platforms.
Also, several studies have proven that getting bored is better for your mental health, productivity, and, more importantly, creativity. So, if your screen time is way higher, and you cannot reduce it, I would recommend watching informational or art content rather than spending hours each day scrolling through short videos.