What Are the Harmful Effects of Studying Too Much?
Studying is generally considered a good thing, but studying too much can lead to health problems, stress and social alienation, according to Healthline. Academia International notes that too much studying can actually have the opposite of the intended effect, causing students to become distracted, forget important facts or make silly mistakes. The site also notes that exhaustion and “burn out” are common.
Healthline.com references a study performed by a Stanford researcher and published in the Journal of Experimental Education that found that too much homework and studying can have negative effects on students’ behavior and well-being that can extend to their lives outside of school. Students who completed more than 3.1 hours of homework per night experienced physical health problems, depression, sleep deprivation, academic stress and a lack of balance in their lives. Results indicated that anything more than two hours of homework or studying per night could be counterproductive.
A British study reported by Mail Online revealed that girls who spent too much time at desks studying had low bone density. The report also notes, however, that this can be counteracted by getting more physical activity, specifically at least three hours of high-intensity upright sports per week. It was noted in the report that the sedentary lifestyle is already implicated in the rise in obesity and heart disease in young people.
