How a Tech Addiction Can Hurt Your Health
By Alexis Mills
Let's all be really honest with ourselves for a second and reflect on how much we use technology in a day. Imagine for a second what a day looks like for you without any technology. Is that even possible? For the majority of us I would say going tech-free on an average day is nearly impossible. Because of that, technology addiction is becoming a real problem and there are serious consequences for being dependent on our devices. Here are some of the biggest health risks that come with technology addiction.
Leads to Anxiety and Depression
There has been a huge correlation with smartphone dependency, gaming, and overusing the internet to anxiety and depression. Teenagers, during this critical stage of their lives, are becoming one of the biggest age groups to show the result of tech overuse and dependence. This may be a correlation with the spike in adolescent suicide rates.
Heightens ADHD Symptoms
Having tech addition makes you really distracted and constantly responding to stimuli. This is creating symptoms of ADHD in people who aren't able to control where their attention goes, which is crucial for our health and happiness.
It Threatens Your Sleep
The artificial blue light that comes from screens is known to suppress the production of sleep hormones, causing people to have sleep issues. Try to not interact with technology for an hour before bed to ensure the best night of sleep possible.
Excessive screen time is also linked to other health issues such as:
- Obesity
- Eye issues
- Hearing damage
- Skeletal damage
How to Help with Tech Addiction
Just like getting a fit body takes time and discipline, so will cutting back on the amount you are using technology. To help you through it, here are some tips. To start off, assess how much you are currently using your devices to use as a measurement to see how you have improved. If we aren't aware of how bad our behavior is, then there is no way that we can effectively change it. Go through and turn off all nonessential notifications, uninstall some social media apps from your phone, schedule times of the day with no tech, and participate in digital detoxes.
As technology is becoming more and more parts of our lives, it becomes much harder to escape from. Being mindful of the amount of time you spend online will help you elevate your health and participate in the world around you.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Walnut Creek, Calif.