Reducing Addiction to Technology and Screen Time by Zaydie

Reducing Addiction to Technology and Screen Time by Zaydie - June 2026 Scholarship Essay

If I was able to design a project to improve my community, it would focus on getting people off their screens and into reality with human contact. My project would aim to help people not be addicted to their phones and other screens. Too often, I’ll be chatting, having a good time with my friends and family, and then once it gets silent everyone just gets on their phones. Most everyone in society today is addicted to their phones. At a glance, being on your phone for a prolonged time may not seem like a huge issue; however, looking into the mental effects this has on people will reveal the undeniable truth.
There are obvious physical drawbacks to looking at a screen too long such as eye strain, dry eyes, blurred vision, headaches, as well as shoulder and neck pain. A lot of people push these issues to the side and don’t see them as significant. However, maybe seeing what kind of mental drawbacks prolonged screen time has will change people’s minds. Starting off, staring at a screen too long before trying to sleep will keep the brain awake and unable to turn off when you ultimately hop off to go to bed. Once this happens, some people use the excuse that it’s impossible to sleep just to get back to a screen. This cycle and unhealthy habit leads to the population getting less and less sleep each night. Although lack of sleep is a whole other issue that causes negative mental and physical effects, we won’t delve too deep into that topic.
Another problem with prolonged screen time is how it’s been proven that the longer you spend average on screens every day, the more likely you are to have suicidal thoughts, and increase depression and anxiety (Most likely tied to the lack of sleep). The biggest issue with having a screen in front of you all day is that you don’t feel productive. Then, when you see friends and family post about how “great” they’re doing, you compare yourself to them and feel bad about yourself. It also should be noted and remembered that everything on social media is the best parts of someone’s lives. You don’t get to see their worst days. Everyone wants to be happy in their lifetime and that’s impossible if they’re facing the effects of prolonged screentime. This is why my design would focus solely on stopping screen addictions so their screen times can be reduced.
A study done by Firth et al looked at digital detox programs, or in other words, programs that help people either reduce or completely stop using electronic devices. Looking at the data that was collected, the study showed people’s mental health outcomes improving; like reduced anxiety and stress. Not only did they find improvement in mental health, but it was also found that reducing screen time improves physical health outcomes as well; like better sleep and weight loss. Reducing addiction and therefore screen time overall will also help with people being happier due to the fact that they’ll have to interact with people face-to-face.
A long time ago when I was in junior high, I had a little get together with my friends in my basement. Once more people arrived, I was stuck downstairs and my parents had to answer the door for someone wanting to hang out with me. My parents told me that once they answered the door, my two friends simply stared at them and said nothing. My dad had to ask, “Are you here for Zaydie?” For which they finally replied, “yes” and were sent downstairs. My reason for telling this story is that I’m worried screens are making people lose basic human interaction skills. My friends couldn’t even greet my parents or tell them why they were at the door without any help. This is a huge issue. It’s been proven time and time again that humans need to interact with each other so we can feel connected, supported, and overall, just not lonely. No matter how much of an introvert someone can be, they still need human interaction because it’s a psychological necessity. Reducing addiction and screen time to technology I believe will deeply help my community.
Although there are a lot of negatives that come along with phones, there are, of course, positives as well. My project would mainly help people not be addicted to their phones so they can still keep in touch with people, use helpful apps, and play games all while having reduced screen time to interact with people face-to-face. I believe a lot of problems in society are just useful things that are being misused or abused. Which is exactly what’s happening with technology and why I think it would be an important thing to focus on when designing a project to improve my community.