Have you ever found yourself opening Instagram while watching a movie? That is you using your second screen- the practice of viewers watching television while simultaneously using a secondary electronic device. Don’t worry, it is more common than you think; in fact, surveys have shown that 83% of those aged 18-34 are likely to engage in this behavior. However, despite how widespread this habit is, have we normalized it to the point where it threatens almost every area of our lives without our knowledge?
According to Sanford Health, the consequences of second screens are weighing heavily on our brains. Studies have shown that using multiple screens at once increases our cognitive load and decreases grey matter in areas of the brain meant to regulate our emotions and thoughts. This is especially true during adolescence. Teenagers and young adults are still undergoing critical development; interference with this vital process can lead to long-term mental and emotional impacts.
Second screens also impact our social lives. According to Psychology Today, while screens do have the potential to enhance our relationships, they often are used to withdraw from interaction. People with pathological internet usage reported significantly higher loneliness levels. High screen times have been linked to irregular sleep, depression symptoms, suicidal thoughts, negative self-image, and loneliness. Movies are supposed to unite us through one shared artistic or entertaining experience; bonds would strengthen after creating memorable moments together. However, their effect has dulled thanks to our second screens.
Technology has also made political participation, through online voting systems and political platforms, much more accessible to the general public. However, with its rise comes the challenge of staying reliably informed on politics in this day and age. Assistant professor at Radboud University Gabi Scaap, whose research focuses on our growing dependence on technology, said that, “the current media environment, bent as it is on continuously attracting our attention, has made it more difficult than ever to filter competing sources.”
Trends such as sensationalism and echo chambers demonstrate this more clearly. Screen users are becoming more likely to fall for emotionally charged or overly exaggerated headlines, making the line between fact and fiction more difficult to discern. Echo chambers, where users only encounter media that reaffirms their preexisting views, undermine the institution of democracy by decreasing exposure to diverse perspectives and deepening partisan divides.
Creativity and human ingenuity are also threatened by second screens. Recently, audiences have noticed a decrease in quality of movies streamed on popular services. The term ‘visual muzak’ helps us understand this trend. It is an analogy to Muzak, the famous company that put pre-recorded background music into elevators, shopping centers, offices, and waiting rooms. Applied to television, a ‘visual muzak’ movie would have a generic color palette, similar tropes, constant expositions, and less creative risks to be the perfect ambiance for viewers scrolling on their phones.
Walter Johnson High School senior Jian Acol admitted to occasionally using television as background noise if he was “not interested”, not only for scrolling, but for tasks such as “schoolwork and college apps”, demonstrating the various other ways ‘visual muzak’ movies are used by modern audiences.
This changes the way we consume and create art on a fundamental level. Artists cannot ignore the fact that their audiences are being transformed by technology. For many artists, staying afloat in this digital age could mean adapting to this new environment. Art may begin to be subtly catered to their largest demographics, the second screen viewer. On top of that, with generative AI tools lessening the demand for human artists, in a few decades, our definition of what art is may be completely different.
By fragmenting our working memory and attention spans, the effects of second screen usage persist and manifest into daily behaviors, even after putting down your phone. “Watching Netflix on TV and chatting on your phone leads to less engagement, enjoyment, and depth of processing, including subsequent remembrance,” Scaap said. Even simple tasks such as completing your homework are affected, becoming “more error-prone and taking longer to complete.”
Many jokingly or even seriously consider second screens to be multitasking that could actually strengthen our minds instead of weakening it. “There is no reason to think that being exposed to multiple screens, or making second-screening a habit, leads us to being better able to process information,” Scaap said. “Our brains can be trained of course, but there are quite strict limits to what our working memory can do.” Even if our brains’ mental capacity could be benefitted by second screens, that would take “thousands of years.”
Now, all we can do is wonder. Technology has already entered almost every aspect of our lives. Imagining a future without it seems impossible, so are the effects of second screens already irreversible? How long can simple solutions such as digital detoxes and screen limits prevent us from fully crossing that line?
Written by Nuriya Mirakbar
Photo by Janalie Buitron