Impact of Screen Time on Attention Control, Phubbing, and Social Isolation

Abstract

Screen time has become an important topic for research in the past few years as it has a significant impact on a person’s mental health and overall development. There is a moderate positive correlation between screen time and attention span (Chakraborty & Nautiyal, 2023). Its influence on attention span is crucial for individuals to study so policymakers, educators, and psychologists can advocate for balanced screen time management for sustained attention (Chakraborty & Nautiyal, 2023). Studies have also found that excessive screen exposure can lead to attention deficit problems in children (Zimmerman & Christakis, 2007). Another Hadar and Eliraz (2015) study showed that more attention deficit-like behaviour was found in individuals who are high smartphone users. Excessive use of Instagram also showed a high positive correlation with a person’s phubbing behaviour (Santos et al., 2023). This research paper explores the impact of screen time and the use of Instagram on phubbing behaviour, social isolation and attention control. The variables were measured using 1) the Phubbing Scale (PS-8): a measure developed by Roberts and David (2016), to assess the extent of the habit of snubbing someone in favour of a mobile phone; 2) the UCLA Social Isolation Scale: a measure developed by Russell (1996), to assess subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation; 3) Attention Control Scale (ACS): measure developed by Derryberry and Reed (2002), to assess an individual's ability to control their attention and focus in various situations. Data from 100 individuals was collected and analysed using linear regression. Results are in progress and will be discussed in detail in the paper.