---

📱 Physical Effects

- Eye strain & headaches: Prolonged staring at screens causes digital eye strain, dryness, and discomfort.

- Sleep disruption: Blue light exposure before bedtime interferes with melatonin production, delaying sleep onset.

- Sedentary lifestyle: Excessive screen use reduces physical activity, contributing to obesity and cardiovascular risks.

- Posture problems: Long hours hunched over devices can lead to neck, shoulder, and back pain.

---

🧠 Mental & Emotional Effects

- Anxiety & depression: High non-schoolwork screen time is associated with greater risk of poor mental health outcomes.

- Social isolation: Overuse of social media or gaming can reduce face-to-face interactions, weakening real-world relationships.

- Attention & focus issues: Constant notifications and multitasking impair concentration and memory.

- Problematic use: WHO reports rising rates of problematic social media (11%) and gaming (12%) among adolescents.

---

👶 Impact on Children & Teens

- Brain development concerns: Excessive screen exposure in early childhood may affect language and social skills.

- Academic performance: Too much recreational screen time correlates with lower school achievement.

- Risk behaviors: Teens with high screen time show higher likelihood of unhealthy eating and reduced physical activity.

---

⚖️ Healthy Screen Habits

- Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

- Set digital curfews: Avoid screens at least 1 hour before bedtime.

- Balance activities: Mix screen use with outdoor play, exercise, and offline hobbies.

- Mindful use: Prioritize quality (educational, creative) over passive scrolling.

---

📊 Quick Comparison

| Positive Uses | Negative Effects (Excessive Use) |

|-------------------|---------------------------------------|

| Access to learning & information | Sleep disruption |

| Social connection | Anxiety & depression risk |

| Entertainment & creativity | Eye strain & headaches |

| Work & productivity | Sedentary lifestyle & obesity |

| Skill development (coding, design) | Reduced attention span |

In this activity, students explored the idea of the “Dependent Backpack” as a symbol of the invisible burden caused by excessive internet use and online gaming. Together, they reflected on how too much screen time can affect emotions, daily routines, relationships, and school performance.

Each student contributed to a collaborative digital book by creating a short text, a drawing or visual element, and a voice recording. Through their pages, the children expressed feelings, identified the consequences of unhealthy digital habits, and shared ideas for a more balanced and responsible use of technology.

This activity encouraged creativity, emotional expression, collaboration, and digital awareness. The final audio book became a meaningful product that gave voice to students’ thoughts and promoted healthy digital habits in a powerful and engaging way.

Our video with audio description

Each student created their own Internet Addiction Backpack page and recorded their voice to read their thoughts.

Questions:

• What is inside our “Addictive Backpack”?

• How does excessive screen time affect our daily life?

• What are healthy digital habits?

We enjoyed creating the book with the voices.

My backpack felt very heavy one day. Inside, there were games, videos, and endless notifications.

At school, I couldn’t focus. I felt tired and alone.

Then I turned off my phone and talked to my friends. My backpack became lighter.

I learned that less screen time makes life better.

He watched videos and played games for hours.

One day, he failed an important exam.

He felt sad and decided to change.

He used the internet less and studied more.

Soon, he became more successful.

Some people spend too much time online. This can affect their school and health.

We should use the internet less and take breaks

Just like a heavy backpack, excessive screen time can affect our emotions, relationships, and school performance.

“The Addictive Backpack” symbolises internet addiction and excessive online gaming.

Students create a collaborative digital book presenting feelings and consequences related to internet overuse.

The story the students created is about a boy, Nikos, who constantly plays electronic games. The title of our story is: "The Internet in moderation".

https://www.canva.com/design/DAHGuCcS3sc/i1EYSbtV__G2aUPgzmHUAg/edit

https://www.storyjumper.com/book/read/189103891/69eb2bb7335db

https://canva.link/osxyyrr3guxr47e

Our students learned a lesson from this activity and enjoyed it a lot.

https://canva.link/3v2b5xq3m4mthno

Students explored internet addiction and excessive gaming using the metaphor of a heavy backpack. Through a collaborative digital book created in Canva, they answered three key questions regarding what is inside this backpack, its impact on daily life, and how to build healthy digital habits. Each page combines student-designed visuals with their own voice recordings in English, creating a powerful awareness tool for digital balance.