Smartphones are no doubt the greatest inventions of our times. They have made our life easier in so many regards. We have just found smartphones to be a necessary part of our survival on the planet. We can’t imagine our lives without this great invention or the apprehensions associated with fear of missing out have greatly increased during recent times.
According to the facts collected by Statista, there are 6.84 billion smartphone users in the world and the number is yet to increase in the next few years.
Smartphones no doubt are necessary in so many fields like they are useful in studying, research, and many other regular tasks. But there are considerable effects of them on our overall health and stability.
We will find out all those possible side effects of smartphones on our mental and overall health.
Table of Contents
SIDE EFFECTS OF SMARTPHONES
One may question what happens if you are on your smartphone for an extensive period of time?
So there are some adverse side effects of smartphones on human health that are listed down below.
1- Mental health
Smartphones when on one hand are a source of recreation and pleasure for human beings. They are on other hand causing mental health to degrade.
Constantly watching the screen of smartphones will keep your brain functional and will require more energy consumption.
But how are smartphones causing it? Let us find out.
In fact, there have been reports that suggest that the blue light of your smartphone screen mimics the action of broad daylight.
This will force you to stay active, bright and functional. Where in reality you are dead tired.
This will not only put a strain on your eyes. But this will also put a bad effect on your brain cells.
Consider that you are holding a stick in your arm for a longer duration of time then it will put a strain on your arm muscles.
So is the case with smartphones that are keeping your brain cells active all the time putting additional stress on them.
There are reports and studies that find out the relationship between smartphones and dopamine. Dopamine is a hormone that is produced when you feel happy or you are in an excited state.
Smartphones replicate the action of dopamine on your brain cells that make them happy or excited for some instant. but this dopamine is short lived and will vanish out as soon as you put your smartphones down leading to behaviour problems. The other major issue in using smartphones for a long duration of time is if you don’t get your instant dopamine shots then your body will send negative signals lowering your overall mood.
2- Changes in the Postures
There are studies that show that smartphones have changed the posture from normal to somewhat abnormal.
If you are on your phone for a much longer duration than you may need to change it.
The increased activity of smartphones has badly affected the neck posture. You are looking down most of the time and this has resulted in a significant change in the posture of the neck and your whole body.
The shoulders are drawn inwards due to constant use of smartphones and the vertebral column has to face extra strain and pressure than normal.
Smartphones should be used in a suitable position that doesn’t put strain on your neck and vertebral column.
3- Insomnia
People nowadays are sleep deprived and they are facing difficulty in getting appropriate amounts of sleep due to smartphones. The reason for this is already discussed: the blue light of smartphones mimics the action of daylight that keeps your body cells active and functional all the time.
Biologically speaking there is another concept to it. The broad daylight produces melanin in your body that helps to keep you active and fit. If the melanin is produced during night time that means that your brain will send the signals to your body to stay awake and you will not fall asleep no matter how much you try.
Side: Tried every tip and trick to fall asleep early? Well, we have got you covered. Here you can learn about the best ways to sleep fast.
4- Weakness in Limbs
This can be attributed to the use of smartphones as well. smartphones are putting extra strain on your arms and hands muscles.
Fingers are getting distorted as there are changes in the pattern and postures of the fingers. More prominently the ring finger and little fingers are used to hold up the phones. So there is prominent disorientation in them. If there are such great changes in your fingers used to hold up the phones then the effects of increased use of smartphones on other body organs can be fathomed well.
5- Changes in Biological Clock
our Body is designed to sleep and wake at a set and periodic time. You might have observed that you get up early on weekends despite your great efforts to make yourself fall asleep. This is because there is a clock called the biological clock that is monitoring and controlling all the functions of the body. This clock functions periodically.
Smartphones have an infamous role to play here as well. The smartphones and the excessive use especially during night time has put the biological clock to a halt. This clock not only helps to keep you healthy but it also helps to make you active during the daytime.
6- Vision Problems
There are multiple reports that smartphones are linked with increased vision problems.
Watching the screens for a longer duration of time not only makes your brain cells lethargic, but they also have detrimental effects on your vision. The cells of your eyes don’t get the necessary time to relax and as a result, they fatigued out.
If you want to improve your eyesight then search out this article to find 7 easy and effective ways to improve your eyesight.
7- Depression
No matter what one says we all find ourselves guilty of not keeping up with things on time due to our late sleep routine. The sleep schedule is perturbed so badly that we don’t get enough time to sleep and relax.
With that, there are issues in our daily life and it is quite natural to get depressed then.
If a person is constantly failing to manage the daily schedule, then this will ultimately lead to depression and sadness in nature.
8- Weight Problems
If you are up at night watching and catching up on all the social media apps this will affect the regular metabolism of your body.
Obviously, your body needs energy and the demand for energy will be increased greatly if you are pushing your limits.
You will crave more and more food and this will lead to health and weight problems. The most common is weight issues like obesity.
Obesity is becoming more and more common as we have nearly lost our activity.
We find ourselves lying on the couch after eating the food.
9- Decreased Memory
Memory issues are also prevalent in today’s society. This is linked with the excessive use of smartphones.
The brain cells cant retain the memory for a longer period of time and if you are someone who engages in mental work then the excessive use of smartphones is bad for your memory.
The Takeaway,
The final takeaway is to find a balance in the use of smartphones. As they say, excess of everything is bad. That being said, it is necessary to understand and maintain the perfect balance.
If you think that despite your efforts you are unable to make the balance between both things then it is better to seek out professional guidance. Make an appointment with the best medical practitioner through our website healthwire.pk.
