In the history of human civilization digital technology is still a very new phenomenon. It’s only over the past ten or fifteen years that the use of smartphones, tablets and social media has grown exponentially. It has radically changed how people see the world and interact with each other in ways we’re still trying to understand.

Along with the incredible number of opportunities the digital world offers, there are plenty of negatives. Many Americans today don’t realize just how much time they are dedicating to phone screens, computer screens and television screens.

Most people of a certain age can remember a time without all this technology, but children today are growing up in a world where they’ve never known anything different.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy nonprofit, kids ages 8 - 18 spend an average of 7.5 hours in front of a screen for entertainment each day. Over the course of an entire year that adds up to 114 full days watching a screen for fun. That doesn’t include the time kids spend on computers at school or at home for educational purposes.

Although some screen time can be educational, the American Society of Pediatrics warns that too much can contribute to childhood obesity, irregular sleep patterns, behavioral problems and impaired academic performance.

According to data from the United Nations, social media connects almost half of the global population. It can help different groups of people make their voices heard and connect to each other from across the world. It can also be used to reinforce prejudices, spread propaganda and give platforms to hate speech.

Not only that, the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) has said that overuse of social media platforms can lead to emotional problems in young adults. Research has shown that people who spend more time on social media and less time in personal interactions with others have an increased risk of feeling anxious or depressed.

As a society, maybe we’re all a little too dependent on our digital devices whether they be for work, school or entertainment. Most of us would benefit from being “unplugged” a little more often and trying to live our lives more within the moment.