Screening Student Behavior: Exploring the Impact of Daily Screen Time on Sleep Quality, Mental Distress, and Academic Performance in Students

The pervasive influence of technology, particularly screen usage, on daily routines and its implications for sleep quality, mental health, academic performance, and physical activity has become an increasing area of concern. Objective: To evaluate the daily screen time of students from different fields of study and to assess its association with demographic variables, sleep quality, psychological symptoms, physical activity, and academic performance. Methods: This study was performed at Isra University, Hyderabad from February 2024 to August 2024, with 152 participants. Data on demographics, sleep quality (PSQI), mental distress (DASS-42), academic performance, and screen time were collected after informed consent. Statistical analysis, conducted using SPSS version 25.0, determined correlations between daily screen time, PSQI, and DAS scores. Results: The participants had a mean age of 20.59 ± 2.16 years, with most residing in urban areas (87.5%) and being day scholars (74.34%). Average daily screen time was 5.85 ± 1.14 hours, significantly higher among those with GPAs below 2.5 and low physical activity levels (p<0.05). Mean scores for depression, anxiety, stress, and PSQI were 13.34 ± 12.01, 11.17 ± 9.41, 15.32 ± 11.09, and 6.45 ± 3.48, respectively. Screen time positively correlated with depression (r = 0.81, p<0.01), anxiety (r = 0.78, p<0.01), stress (r = 0.83, p<0.01), and PSQI (r = 0.75, p<0.01). Conclusion: Increased screen time was linked to poorer sleep quality, elevated mental distress, and reduced academic performance, particularly in urban populations and individuals using screens for recreation.