The COVID-19 pandemic: Electronic media use and health among US College students

Abstract

Objective: To explore differences before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in electronic media use (i.e. TV watching, social media use, screen time), health (i.e. physical, behavioral, social, mental), and the relationship between them among college students. Participants: Nine hundred sixty-five United States college students with 367 participating before and 598 during the pandemic (after March 2020). Methods: Using a multiple cross-sectional design, participants completed an online self-report questionnaire and biometric data was gathered in-person for the Pre-COVID group. Results: During the pandemic, time spent watching TV and social media was 14% higher and total screen time was 30% higher (d = .39). Health variations were mixed with both adverse and beneficial differences. Most correlations between electronic media use and health variables were lower in strength during the pandemic. Conclusions: Differences between electronic media use and health before and during the pandemic suggest potential mixed effects of the pandemic on college student media use and health.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; TV; health; screen time; social media.