The question is not now much time you spend at a screen, but who is on
the other side of it.
Much of the conversation so far concerns time, and the virtues or
vices of how we spend it. Not all pastimes are equal. Knitting a
jumper, taking a hike, or skateboarding are actions one performs on or
in the world. Reading a book is more of an action that the world (the
author especially) performs upon you. It is a different frame. Movies
and video gaming are somewhere in the middle. Some media forms, such
as daytime trash-TV and TiKTok are at the extreme of the
passive/receptive frame. It is a pipeline of affect directly to your
hypothalamus. Any discussion of harms or benefits must be understood
in that light.
Much of the conversation so far concerns time, and the virtues or vices of how we spend it. Not all pastimes are equal. Knitting a jumper, taking a hike, or skateboarding are actions one performs on or in the world. Reading a book is more of an action that the world (the author especially) performs upon you. It is a different frame. Movies and video gaming are somewhere in the middle. Some media forms, such as daytime trash-TV and TiKTok are at the extreme of the passive/receptive frame. It is a pipeline of affect directly to your hypothalamus. Any discussion of harms or benefits must be understood in that light.