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If nowadays you ask any person to name a thing without which he cannot spend a single day, in nine cases out of ten it will be a mobile phone. Thanks to new technologies, the phone is no longer just a way to communicate with friends. On the phone we play, watch movies, read, make purchases. So every day most people spend more and more time looking at the mobile screen. Meanwhile, experts are sounding the alarm. There are many negative consequences of people being glued to their smartphones all day long.
Eye strain
«Prolonged use of digital devices and exposure to screens can cause very severe strain on the eyes,» says Dr. Howard Purcell, a member of the American Academy of Optometry. — Symptoms may be as follows: blurred vision, problems with concentration, redness, fatigue or dry eyes, as well as headaches.»
If you are going to focus on the screen for a long time, Dr. Purcell suggests trying the 20/20/20 rule. Its essence is to take a break for 20 seconds every 20 minutes and look at something that is at least six meters (20 feet) away.
Neck pain
Usually when we look into the mobile, we tilt our head and hunch our back. According to doctors, one of the main problems faced by the most active smartphone users is neck stretching.
Neck stretching associated with a mobile phone is so common that doctors have even given it its own name — «text neck».
Lack of oxygen
According to the Cleveland Clinic, sitting in a bent position prevents the lungs from expanding, which reduces their capacity. Inhaling less oxygen means your heart needs to work harder to send more oxygen-carrying blood throughout your body, including to your brain.
Wrist sprains
From the fact that you hold the phone in your hand for a long time (and this is not the most ergonomic pose), there is compression of the carpal canal, as well as inflammation of the tendon ligaments.
«Text» thumb
This is another common injury seen in patients who spend too much time on the phone. Pain, discomfort or numbness of the thumb may occur due to the constant typing of text messages.
Sleep disturbance
Constant stay «on the phone» affects the level of melatonin and reduces its level. In addition, the bright light from the phone keeps the brain active, not allowing you to relax and calm down just before bedtime.
Anxiety
Due to the fact that people spend more and more time in the so—called «cyberworld», and less and less in the real world, the number of anxiety disorders is increasing. According to psychologists, as we constantly fill our consciousness with frightening news on the one hand, and content from «ideal Instagram worlds» on the other, we become more and more insecure.
Depression
Dependence on the phone can negatively affect self-esteem. When we see perfect pictures on other people’s social networks, we involuntarily begin to compare ourselves with them. And this comparison can lead to depression.
Hallucinations
If you have ever heard a phone notification or felt a vibration, but when you picked it up, there were no new messages and notifications on it, then you are not alone. This is not madness, but a new phenomenon akin to hallucinations. Psychologists have called it «phantom vibration syndrome». Recent studies have shown that about 10% of active smartphone users suffer from this.
Acquired ADHD
«Countless teenagers, for example, are now diagnosed with ADHD, although most of them do not even have a neurological condition. It’s just that they are so used to using smartphones and computers that they lose the ability to concentrate, focus and be organized in those situations when it is necessary,» psychologists say.
By the way, ADHD also happens in adults — it’s naive to think that this is only a children’s problem.
