There are groups of people who are concerned that phones can cause health problems. Could turning off our smartphones actually affect our health and mood?
Some of us try to slow down their life in order to take better care of their health and enjoy life more. In the last two decades, society moved from being totally offline to being online for a big part of the day. The new trend is to free oneself from the ubiquitous technology (or to at least to reduce time spent using it). There are groups of people who are concerned that phones can cause health problems. Could turning off our smartphones actually affect our health and mood?
How does smartphone use affect our physical health?
Let us start with an important fact – cell phones emit low levels of radio frequency energy – non-ionizing radiation. Many researchers tried to prove that such energy has no other effect on the human body than tissue heating, although Food and Drug Administration scientists are regularly analyzing data to assess potential impact of long-term exposure. For now, there is no proof that radio frequency energy causes any serious health problems, such as cancer.
Social Media is one of the major reasons why people addicted to their smartphones, however, consistent use of social media has led to mental illnesses, read this report to know all about it.
Evidence so far suggests that mobile phones are not harmful. This does not mean, however, that using a smartphone has no influence over our health in general. There may be yet much more to discover in the course of long-term observations, there are still many reasons for reducing time spent with a phone in your hand.
Viruses and bacteria
We carry our smartphones anywhere we go. We use it at school, at work, during lunch, even in the bathroom and in bed. Those two behaviors are not recommended. First, you need to realize that there may be considerable amounts of viruses and bacteria on your phone. Using disinfectant wipes for cleaning electronics is one of the ways to make it more safe. You may also reduce the time spent on your phone and keep it on the desk instead of taking it with you everywhere.
Blue light exposure cause sleeping problems
Blue light is emitted by various electronic devices like smartphones, lamps, computers, tablets and TV screens. Exposure to it may be damaging to our health – not only in terms of being detrimental to your sight. People have slightly different circadian rhythms. There are studies that link exposure to light at night with health problems such as obesity, diabetes or heart disease, although there is no proof that nighttime light exposure actually causes these conditions. Scientists claim that one of the reasons why people do not get enough sleep is the amount of light they are exposed to at night. A study from the Journal of Child Development in 2017 found that smartphones can cause sleep problems among children, which can lead to depression, anxiety and acting out.
It is proven, though, that blue light used at night strongly contributes to suppressing the secretion of melatonin. Experts recommend stopping using phones at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep. There are many ways to reduce blue light in your environment – for example by replacing smartphones with modern products, such as Mudita Pure, which use E-ink technology.
Psychological risks
Physical risks are one thing, but there can also be considerable psychological effects of extensive use of smartphones. Cell phone addiction is real. Some people are really terrified of going out without their mobile device or even experience phantom vibrations – the feeling that they receive notifications when they do not. Extensive use of your smartphone can affect your:
- emotional life,
- social skills and relationships,
- mental health.
There is a study devoted to the topic of children's interactions with smartphones, according to which, kids who spent three hours or more a day on smartphones or other electronic devices were 34 percent more likely to suffer at least one suicidal incident.
How to prevent such health problems?
The best way is to try to live more in the real world instead of focusing on virtual reality. A large part of our society came to believe that we need our smartphones in order to function in the modern world. Fortunately there are ways to live without cell phones or at least to reduce the time spent using it. There are many gadgets available on the market that can replace our mobile devices while ensuring their most important functionalities.
If you do not want to or cannot give up your smartphone completely (for example because you have to use it at work), think of how to use it less. Buy an alarm clock with an E-ink display to wake you up instead of an alarm in your mobile device. Have a minimalist phone that you will use after leaving your office. Choose to live in the real world – do it for your health!
References
1. Review of Published Literature between 2008 and 2018 of Relevance to Radiofrequency Radiation and Cancer, FDA, https://www.fda.gov/media/135043/download.
2. Blue light has a dark side, at: Harvard Health Publishing, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side.
3. C. Fuller, E. Lehman, S. Hicks, M.B. Novick, Bedtime Use of Technology and Associated Sleep Problems in Children, Global Pediatric Health 2017, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5669315/.
4. Yu-Hsuan Lin, Sheng-Hsuan Lin, Peng Li, Wei-Lieh Huang, Ching-Yen Chen, Prevalent Hallucinations during Medical Internships: Phantom Vibration and Ringing Syndromes, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3677878/.
5. J.M. Twenge, T.E. Joiner, M.L. Rogers, G.N. Martin, Increases in Depressive Symptoms, Suicide-Related Outcomes, and Suicide Rates Among U.S. Adolescents After 2010 and Links to Increased New Media Screen Time, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2167702617723376?journalCode=cpxa.
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