Screen time rises sharply among Montreal adults: Public Health survey

Screen use is playing a growing role in the daily lives of Montreal adults, according to a new survey from the city’s Regional Public Health Department (DRSP) and Concordia University.

The survey, conducted among 4,000 adults, shows a 15 per cent increase since 2018 in the number of people spending more than two hours a day on screen-based leisure activities.

Nearly one-quarter of respondents, 23 per cent, reported spending more than four hours a day in front of a screen. The trend is particularly strong among young adults aged 18 to 24, where 39 per cent fall into that category, as well as adults aged 65 and over, at 30 per cent.

“Seniors are actually the group that has seen one of the most significant increases,” points out Jean-François Biron, author of the publication and expert in hyperconnectivity at Montreal’s DRSP.

“What this tells us is that seniors are no longer a group that struggles with technology. Sometimes there’s a cliché about that,” Biron adds.

Several factors may explain the high screen time among seniors, including the fact that they have a lot of free time.

Public health officials say intensive screen use is linked to lower levels of physical activity, raising concerns about long-term impacts on physical and mental health.

Still, perceptions of screen time are mixed. While 18 per cent of respondents said their digital habits have primarily negative effects on their well-being, a much larger share, 44 per cent, believe screen use has a positive impact on their quality of life.

Positive perception of its use

The survey results indicate that 44 per cent of adults believe that their digital habits have a positive impact on their sense of well-being and quality of life, while only 18 per cent see mainly negative impacts.

“We asked people about their subjective experience,” explains Biron. “People may have a subjective experience in recognizing that screens sometimes cause them to lose sleep, lead them to be less physically active, or cause them to have less enriching social interactions at times.”

In fact, most people admit that screens have negative repercussions, but when they look at the big picture, more people feel that they have a positive impact on their lives. Biron explains that screen time is not the main factor they use to analyze their screen use.

“There are people who spend less than four hours, who are not heavy users, or who even spend less than two hours, but their experience is negative because they are in a situation where they compare themselves to others; or they feel bad because their use is mainly social media; or because they find there is too much bad news. There are various factors that influence perception, and screen time is not the main factor when people are asked about their experience,” he explains.

The harmful effects of screen time on physical and mental health are well documented by science. “When we look at it from a lifestyle perspective, we really see that regardless of the type of use, once a certain threshold is crossed, there is an increased risk to health,” Biron points out.

Adopting a harm reduction approach

Data from the Montreal DRSP survey cross-referenced with Statistics Canada data on physical activity show that the groups most at risk of sedentary lifestyles are the same groups that make excessive use of screens, says Biron. “This is worrying,” he says. “What it tells us is that we now need to look at intensive screen use as an issue that affects adults and not just adolescents and children.”

The survey’s findings suggest that decision-makers should “take into account individuals’ experiences using a harm reduction approach.” Biron elaborates.

“The harm reduction approach is somewhat of a motivational approach. It encourages individuals to do less without setting them up for failure or giving them an unattainable goal. When you set people an unattainable goal, the brain’s protective mechanisms kick in and they simply don’t take the recommendation seriously,” he explains.

Scientific literature shows that even though individuals’ experiences with screens are often positive, the negative impacts associated with them remain quite widespread, the report notes. Screen use should therefore be integrated into concerted efforts to promote healthy lifestyles.

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— With files from The Canadian Press