Mood and Screen Time: Understanding the Emotional Impact of Device Use

In today’s world, technology is woven into almost every part of our lives. From the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, many of us are scrolling, swiping, messaging, and reacting. While digital devices offer convenience, entertainment, and connection, excessive or unbalanced use — particularly of social media — can also have a significant impact on our mood and emotional wellbeing.

How Can Device Use Affect Our Mood?

While using phones, tablets, or computers can be enjoyable and even soothing in the short term, long periods of screen time — especially passive scrolling or late-night use — can lead to:

• Mood fluctuations: Increased irritability, frustration, or emotional numbness.

• Sleep disruption: Blue light exposure and mental stimulation can delay sleep onset and reduce sleep quality.

• Low self-esteem: Comparing ourselves to curated or filtered content can impact body image and self-worth.

• Social disconnection: Paradoxically, too much virtual connection can reduce real-life connection and emotional fulfilment.

• Reduced motivation: Constant stimulation can interfere with sustained focus and enjoyment in offline activities.

It’s not uncommon for clients to report feeling “flat,” “anxious,” or “unmotivated” after long stretches of screen time — but not always be aware of the link.

Why Is This Important in Therapy?

As psychologists, we explore the context behind a client’s mood — what they’re doing, thinking, and feeling in the lead-up to emotional shifts. If a client is spending hours passively scrolling, gaming into the early morning, or constantly checking notifications, this can form part of a cycle that contributes to low mood, anxiety, or emotional dysregulation.

Understanding this relationship can be empowering. It gives clients insight and a sense of control over factors that influence their wellbeing.

What Therapeutic Support Can Help?

One evidence-based approach that can be particularly helpful is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

How CBT Can Help:

• Awareness: Clients learn to identify unhelpful patterns of thought and behaviour — such as doom scrolling, negative self-talk triggered by online comparison, or over-reliance on devices as a coping strategy.

• Behavioural activation: We collaboratively build a plan to gradually reintroduce activities that give a sense of accomplishment, connection, or pleasure — beyond the screen.

• Cognitive restructuring: Clients develop skills to challenge distorted or negative thinking often reinforced by online content (e.g., “Everyone else is doing better than me”).

• Self-monitoring: Clients may be encouraged to track mood alongside screen use, to notice patterns that may not have been clear before.

The Role of Psychoeducation

Psychoeducation is a key part of the therapy process. It helps clients understand:

• Why they might feel more emotionally dysregulated after high device use.

• How the brain processes rewards and stimulation (like constant notifications).

• What healthy habits and boundaries around screen use look like.

Psychoeducation isn’t about blame or judgement — it’s about giving clients the tools to make choices that align with their values and support their emotional health.

Takeaway Message

Technology is here to stay, and it can be a wonderful part of life — but like any tool, its impact depends on how we use it. Therapy offers a supportive space to explore this relationship, understand its effects, and create more balance. If you or your child is experiencing changes in mood, motivation, or wellbeing, and suspect screen use may be playing a role, you're not alone — and help is available.

Beck, A. T., Rush, A. J., Shaw, B. F., & Emery, G. (1979). Cognitive Therapy of Depression. New York: Guilford Press.

Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2018). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Preventive Medicine Reports, 12, 271–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2018.10.003

Przybylski, A. K., & Weinstein, N. (2017). A large-scale test of the Goldilocks hypothesis: Quantifying the relations between digital-screen use and the mental well-being of adolescents. Psychological Science, 28(2), 204–215. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797616678438