Green time moderates negative mental health effects of screen time for college studentsResearch has linked time spent on handheld devices—“screen time”—with increased depression and anxiety among college students. Likewise, research has also documented how time spent in nature—“green time”—has mental health benefits, such as reducing stress and increasing well-being. However, studies have rarely examined screen time and green time together to understand how their interactions may be related to mental health. This US-based study analyzed questionnaire data on college students’ use of handheld devices, time spent in nature, and mental health in order to examine relationships of screen time and green time to their self-reported anxiety, depression, and stress. In doing so, the researchers sought to inform public health interventions that utilize nature to improve college students’ mental health and well-being.
This quantitative study tested two hypotheses: (1) screen time would be associated with greater anxiety, depression, and stress, and (2) green time potentially moderated the relationship between screen time and mental health—that is, time spent in nature might reduce anxiety, depression, and stress for college students who spend significant leisure time on their phones. To subject these assumptions to scientific scrutiny, the researchers recruited undergraduates enrolled in a psychology course to complete a series of questionnaires related to their screen time, days spent in nature and parks, and perceived anxiety, depression, and stress. 372 college students consented to the study and completed the questionnaires for research credit. The research team then calculated correlations between these screen time, green time, and mental health measures to understand their relationships.
The study’s findings mostly confirmed the researchers’ hypotheses with one exception. Time spent on handheld devices significantly predicted higher anxiety, depression, and stress. Days per week spent in nature significantly predicted lower depression and low stress—but, unexpectedly, not lower anxiety. Green time also moderated the relationship between screen time and anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms. That is, the relationship between screen time and mental health differed by students’ different levels of time in nature. College students who spent the most time in nature had the best relationship between screen time and mental health. Students with average or above average nature exposure reported fewer mental health problems than students who spent less than average time outdoors. Students who spent below average days in nature reported more mental health problems regardless of their hours of screen time. Students with average to above average days in nature reported fewer mental health issues at lower levels of screen time than students who spent less time in nature; however, those with high screen time didn’t benefit as much from moderately more time outdoors.
In summary, screen time was associated with increased anxiety, depression, and stress in college students, and green time was associated with lower stress and depression. Plus, more time in nature may reduce mental health issues associated with screen time, particularly for those who spend less than 7 hours per day on their phone (i.e. average screen time in this study). If these findings were replicated in more rigorous studies, public health and university officials should encourage college students’ screen-free green time, enhance existing green space on campuses, and invest in more natural areas on or near campus as strategies to reduce stress and depression symptoms.
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