Key terms for understanding screen time, social media, and teen digital health.

Screen Time Concepts

Screen Time — The amount of time spent using a device with a screen, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and televisions. Can be categorized as active (creating, learning, communicating) or passive (scrolling, watching, browsing).

Digital Wellness — An approach to technology use that promotes healthy habits, balance, and intentional engagement with digital devices.

Digital Detox — A period of time during which a person refrains from using electronic devices. Can range from a few hours to several weeks.

Screen Addiction — A behavioral pattern characterized by excessive, compulsive use of digital devices that interferes with daily life, relationships, and well-being. Not yet a formal clinical diagnosis but increasingly recognized by mental health professionals.

Blue Light — A type of light emitted by screens that suppresses melatonin production and can interfere with sleep. Wavelength range of approximately 380-500 nanometers.

Doom Scrolling — The habit of compulsively scrolling through negative news or social media content, often driven by anxiety and the brain’s negativity bias.

Social Media Terms

Algorithm — A set of rules that determines what content appears in your social media feed. Algorithms are designed to maximize engagement (time spent on the platform) by showing you content you are most likely to interact with.

Dopamine Loop — A neurological cycle in which a reward (like, comment, notification) triggers dopamine release, creating a desire for more rewards, leading to repeated behavior. Social media platforms are designed to exploit this loop.

Social Comparison — The tendency to evaluate yourself by comparing yourself to others. On social media, this is amplified because people typically share only their best moments, creating a distorted view of reality.

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) — Anxiety that others are having experiences from which you are absent, often triggered by social media posts showing friends doing things without you.

Curated Self — The version of yourself that you present on social media, carefully selected to show your best moments, achievements, and appearance. Distinct from your actual, unfiltered self.

Influencer — A person with a significant social media following who can affect the purchasing decisions and opinions of their audience. Influencers are often paid by brands to promote products.

Digital Health Concepts

Phone Anxiety — Stress or worry related to phone notifications, calls, or the absence of your phone. Can include phantom vibration syndrome (feeling your phone vibrate when it has not).

Nomophobia — The fear of being without your phone or being unable to use it. Derived from “no mobile phone phobia.”

Attention Residue — The phenomenon where thoughts about a previous task linger and interfere with your current task. Checking your phone, even briefly, creates attention residue that reduces focus on subsequent tasks.

Multitasking Myth — The misconception that humans can effectively do multiple cognitive tasks simultaneously. Research shows that what appears to be multitasking is actually rapid task-switching, which reduces performance on all tasks.

Sleep Hygiene — Practices and habits that promote consistent, quality sleep. Key digital wellness component: avoiding screens for 30-60 minutes before bedtime.

Digital Literacy — The ability to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information using digital technologies. Includes understanding how platforms work, recognizing misinformation, and protecting personal data.

Parenting & Teen Terms

Parental Controls — Software tools that allow parents to limit, monitor, or filter their child’s device usage. Includes content filters, screen time limits, and app restrictions.

Screen Time Report — A built-in feature on most smartphones that tracks and displays daily device usage by app, category, and total time.

App Timer — A feature that allows you to set daily time limits for specific apps. When the limit is reached, the app is paused or locked for the rest of the day.

Focus Mode — A phone setting that pauses distracting apps and notifications while allowing essential apps to remain accessible. Useful during homework and sleep hours.

Geotagging — The process of adding location data to photos, videos, or social media posts. Privacy concern for teens as it can reveal their exact location.