Spending too much time with your phone can seriously affect your health. Your phone is your connection with your family, work, and friends. It is easy to spend too much time staring at your screen. A smartphone can easily get your attention and distract you from really important tasks. But what can this do to your body and overall health?
Don’t miss these 6 health risks of spending too much time on your phone to ensure your health and the health of others.
1. Eye strain
Screening on your phone can involve you so much that you forget to blink. The frequency of blinking can decrease from 15 times per minute to 5 times. Thus, the surface of your eye becomes less moisturized causing an issue called dry eye. This makes you more susceptible to an eye infection, eye inflammation, abrasion of the corneal surface, and even vision loss.
Besides, the bright light that your phone emits can cause uncomfortable sensations. The discomfort develops because of the need to consistently focus, causing eye strain and blurry vision.
2. Bad posture
Excessive use of smartphones can cause problems with your posture. The most common posture issues include forward neck posture, slouched posture, or rounded shoulders. These conditions can cause discomfort and decrease the quality of your life significantly. When you concentrate on watching the small screen of your phone, you often bend your neck more to look at the screen. This is a major risk factor for the development of serious posture problems.
3. Neck pain
Most people when staring at their phone sitting in a position when the neck is flexed and the face looking down. Over time, this can increase neck strain significantly. Increased neck strain often results in muscle spasms, pain, and even long-lasting wear and tear of the spine. This condition is called a text neck. To relieve the pain you need to get a neck pain treatment and avoid sitting in a position where your neck hunched forward.
4. Phone addiction
Mobile phone addiction is a widespread problem. Withdrawal from the phone and social media can make you feel anger, tension, depression, and irritability. This can alter the physiological behavior and lower performance at work. The biggest problem of phone addiction is that the more time you spend staring, the more you'll want to stare. If you suspect you have a phone addiction, consult a doctor to get qualified medical help.
5. Sleep issues
Sleep issues are one of the most common outcomes of excessive smartphone use. The blue light that the screen of your phone emits can disrupt the natural production of melatonin in your body. Melatonin is a hormone that plays a key role in regulating your sleep and wake cycles. Your body starts producing more of this hormone closer to bedtime so you can fall asleep. If you constantly stare at the phone(especially before bedtime), it can be hard for you to fall asleep.
If you have sleep issues, you need to avoid using your phone at least 2 hours before bedtime. Over time, the production of melatonin will normalize, improving the quality of your sleep.
6. Depression
Excessive phone use is associated with a lot of mental health-related symptoms, behaviors, and psychological factors. Spending time while screening distracts you from other activities and health-related behaviors. It makes you less physically active, reduces social interaction, and distracts you from staying on work or school tasks. This can increase psychological stress and arousal. This can negatively affect your sleep and recovery, increasing the risk of mental diseases.
If the phone distracts you from day-to-day tasks and makes you feel depressed, try to reduce your screen time. This can help you improve social interactions and improve your mental health.
