Exploring the relationship between screen time and physical activity among secondary school students

This study explores the relationship between screen use and physical activity among 15-year-old secondary school students at SMK USJ 4. The main goal is to investigate the impact of different types and periods of screen time, spanning educational purposes to leisure activities like social networking and gaming, on students' physical activity levels. A carefully selected group of 150 students took part in surveys evaluating their daily screen time and physical activity routines. Data was gathered using self-reported questionnaires and examined with Pearson's correlation method to assess the strength and direction of the relationship between the two variables. Initial results show a weak to moderate opposite relationship between screen time and physical activity, implying that increased screen use could adversely impact physical activity levels. Nonetheless, the relationship shows significant variability, reflecting the impact of mediating factors like individual motivation, socioeconomic background, and the accessibility of physical education programs in schools. This analysis offers important perspectives for educators and policymakers in crafting specific strategies to encourage physical activity in the context of rising screen time. Conducting additional studies to explore long-term impacts and possible underlying processes is advisable.