Addicted to Smartphones? These Side Effects Will Scare You

You constantly look at it. When it is not around you, you feel anxious, and when it is with you, it is all you can think about. Yes, we're talking about your mobile phone. Our dependency on our smartphones have become epic and our obsession with the telephonic gadget has only seen an upwards trajectory. For the present generation, cell phones have become a necessity. This gadget which has now replaced desktops has eliminated our need for alarm clocks, address books, notepads and even cameras. Undoubtedly, mobile phone is a very useful tool. It eases communication and has made our lives faster as well.

Side Effect Of Mobile Phone Addiction

It is rightly said that too much of an addiction is bad and if your phone has become your best buddy then reading about how harmful it can be may cajole you enough into keeping limited contact with it.

Withdrawal Symptoms

The moment we hear a beep of a message on our phone, we rush to it to check. With mobile phones, our reliability on texting as a primary mode of communication has increased. Though texting is instantly gratifying, but it also produces anxiety. The instant reply by the friend can bring joy and elation. But in case of delayed response or no response, this same pleasure turns into disappointment. We get too attached to our phone, forgetting what is going on around us. Just like any other addictive substances, withdrawal can be long and painful and come with complications. In a study, ‘clear majority’ suffered significant mental and physical distress, panic and confusion and extreme isolation during withdrawal period.

Nomophobia is the fear of being without your mobile phone and it is now recognized as a serious issue, with rehab facilities available to help you deal with your problem. Some of the symptoms of nomophobia include anxiety or negative physical symptoms if you have lost or cannot use your mobile phone, obsessively checking to make sure you have your phone with you, and constantly worrying about losing it somewhere.

Risk Of Cancer:

Research shows that electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile phones get absorbed in the tissues when we hold the phone for longer times. As we grow, our nervous systems continue to develop and hence, there is a greater risk of developing brain cancer from cell phones.

Depression

Spending and keeping oneself glued to the screen of mobile phone can lead to anxiety and depression as just like rest of the users even we expect constant updates and interaction from friends and start taking tension or getting worried when these are not received.

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Sleep Loss

Almost 90 percent of us keep our mobile phones nearby while sleeping so that we can quickly respond to texts and calls at any hour of the day. This however, leads to sleep interruption and disruption. We gradually start becoming irritable when we are sleep deprived. Even the light exposure can actually push back sleep time as long as coffee does.

Back Problems

Almost all of us are hunched over our phones and engrossed in numerous applications that are there in it. But we are unknowingly putting ourselves to risk by doing this as this could be putting our back under pressure. This pain isn’t occasional, with 25 percent of young people suffering on a daily basis.

Nerve Damage

Smartphones do not just affect your health on a day-to-day basis but they may also cause long term, incurable side effects. One can damage one’s nerves if he or she is using too much of mobile phone. The only remedy to manage the pain includes steroid and numbing injections, yoga, massage and a minimal use of your smart phone.

Stress

Having mobile phone means we are always available to take calls, text messages, instant messages, social media notifications and emails. We stretch our working hours or even continue to work on non working hours and non working days as emails continue to pour in late into the night.

A Source Of Bacteria

Not only this, mobile phone are also a source of bacteria. Disturbing research from the University of Arizona has discovered that the average phone has 10 times the amount of bacteria that is found on a toilet seat.

Text Claw

Text claw is a non-medical term but its symptoms are very real. People who are too much addicted to their phones experience crapped fingers, wrist pain and sore muscle thanks to continuous texting, browsing, scrolling, gaming on the touch screen of our phone.

Affects Social Life

Mobile phones is said to be distracting, especially when in social settings. It turns out that most of us have an attention span less than that of a gold fish. Mobile phones, which is said to connect us to people across the world, are instead making us more isolated. With too much addiction, we are gradually becoming less connected to our peers on deeper levels.

Affects Eyesight And Hearing Ability

Direct exposure to blue light like the one that is emitted from mobile phone screens can cause damage to retina of the eye. To protect your eyes, limit the amount of time on your phone.

Talking to someone on phone won’t damage tour hearing but listening to music on your smartphone connected to a headphone or a earphone might have a cause of concern.

Cell Phone Elbow

“Cell Phone Elbow” describes tingling or numbness in ring and pinky fingers after bending your elbow to talk on phone for long periods of time.

We have to understand that addiction to our mobile phones is as bad addiction to anything else and should make sure that we cannot let a simple machine ruin our health and life.

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