Our generation relies heavily on smartphones, tablets, and computers, making it difficult to resist using them. They have a favorable effect on our social and financial lives. The trouble is, if used excessively, they might also have harmful effects. It could result in both psychological and physical issues.
If you discover that you spend most of your time using your smartphone rather than physically interacting with people, you can term that an addiction. You could be spending this time gaming, regularly checking on emails and chats, and betting, among other things.
In this article, we will look at whether the addiction is harmful and diseases with similar symptoms to phone addiction.
Is Smartphone Addiction Harmful?
Yes. Nomophobia is the term used to describe a smartphone addiction. The following are harmful effects that are caused by overusing smartphones.
1. Depression
Depression is a disorder that has an adverse impact on your feelings, thoughts, and actions. While you isolate yourself from other people, it is difficult to explain how you are feeling when you are going through a difficult time. With time, you become accustomed to this sensation, and depressive symptoms begin to appear.
Signs of depression include.
- Sad feeling.
- Loss of interest in once-enjoyable activities.
- Due to poor dieting, one may lose or gain weight.
- Inability to sleep or excessive sleeping.
- Energy loss or increased fatigue.
- Suicidal thoughts.
- A sense of worthlessness or guilt.
- Having trouble thinking.
If these signs start disturbing, you need to seek therapy for yourself or your loved one.
2. Poor concentration
It is challenging to be aware of your surroundings once you become accustomed to using your phone. Loss of concentration is also a sign of depression. You’ll worry excessively about minor and major things if your attention is impaired.
When you struggle with concentration, learning and recalling information is challenging, which can be frustrating.
Fatigue and exhaustion, particularly from sleep difficulties, anxiety, joint, muscle, and organ pain, and bodily symptoms like pain and headaches, are all causes of lack of concentration.
You won’t have as much time to take care of yourself if you use your phone excessively. Failure to take care of lost concentration symptoms can expose you to diseases like stroke and Alzheimer’s.
3. Neck pain
Muscle strains are frequently brought on by overuse, such as spending too much time slumped over a smartphone. Neck muscles are thus strained, resulting in neck pain. When the spine is aligned, the human head’s weight gets supported by the neck structure.
The head must be in a neutral position with the ears above the shoulders to maintain the spine’s alignment. Due to a stiff neck, the body may find it challenging to do other physical actions such as walking, turning, or bending. If left untreated, this slows you down and produces an extremely uncomfortable sensation.
4. Sleep Issues
The hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle, melatonin, is suppressed by the blue light emitted by cell phone screens. This makes it much more challenging to go to sleep and awaken the following day.
When this becomes routine, you begin to experience physical tiredness and lose productivity.
Limited sleep exposes you to.
- Heart diseases.
- Lowers your sex drive.
- Aging in your skin.
What diseases have similar symptoms?
Below are conditions that have similar symptoms to those of smartphone addiction.
1. Problems of the endocrine system
The endocrine system is a network of glands that generate and release hormones to convert calories into energy.
When endocrine disorders occur, they lead to hormone imbalance, when a gland produces either too much or too little endocrine hormone or endocrine diseases, developing lesions such as nodules or tumors in the system.
An endocrinologist can correct the problem with replacement therapy by purchasing and using Saizen, which is described here.
2. Psychological Disorders
Psychological disorders are similar to those of depression. If you feel that way, you are not alone and can be helped. The use of HGH in humans to treat shortness can also cause physical disorders. In case you plan on using it, make sure to get guidance from a professional.
When do you need professional help?
Using phones, especially social media, makes one think people’s lives are “better” compared to yours based on social media posts. This causes one’s self-esteem and confidence to suffer. This causes mental health issues, including sadness and anxiety in specific individuals. This should be a key indicator of seeking professional help.
The tendency to find it hard to concentrate over extended periods might clearly indicate seeking professional help. Depression and psychological disorders will make you have habits that are hard to control.
Professional help is a gradual procedure that requires the victim and anybody close to them to have a lot of patience. Numerous medications are available to address varying degrees of any effects that may have been brought on by phone addiction, whether psychological or physical.
How to cut down on phone use
Naturally, reducing addiction is not something you can accomplish overnight. Follow what your therapist will counsel, avoid enclosed spaces, and perform more physical workouts. If you are using the phone, make sure it is something that makes your mind strong. Practice makes perfect.
Conclusion
Anything can be reversed. To avoid becoming a phone addict, learn the effects of phone addiction first. As a community, we should battle mental illness and depression stigma. This will result in fewer people having mental health concerns and decrease the suicide rate.