Comparison of Screen Time Usage and Mental Well-being among Professional College Students versus School-going Students: Promotion of Mental Health

Abstract

Background: New modern era, new modern age, the paper has been replaced by the screen. However, this screen might be started from the age of the television to the computer, smartphones, and tablets. With this new era the health is lacking and has taken a back step. Aim: This study aims to assess the screen time usage and its effects on mental well-being to promote the mental health among students. Methods: A quantitative research approach, nonexperimental descriptive research design was used. Data were collected from 100 professional college students and 100 school-going students. Nonprobability convenient sampling technique was used. Responses were collected on sociodemographic profile, self-structured screen time usage, The Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being (2006), and Self-Structured Screen Time Effects Likert Scale. Results: The study revealed that 55% of the college students and 42% of the school-going students were using smartphone for 1–3 h on weekends, 56% of the college students and 45% of the school-going students were using smartphone for 1–3 h on weekdays (58%) of the professional college students having high mental well-being and 42% having low mental well-being, almost half (54%) of the school-going students having high mental well-being and 46% having low mental well-being. Conclusion: The study concluded that the professional college students had higher screen time usage than school-going students on both weekdays/weekends and majority of them were using it for educational purpose. High mental well-being was found in both groups of students.

Keywords

• mental health
• mental well-being
• professional college students
• school-going students
• screen time usage