While watching TV, phones, or other screens, we tend to sit more than usual. This can be bad for our health. You will surely see at least one person around you is into his/her phone. Screen time is referred to as activated done in front of the screen whether it would be watching TV, playing video games, waiting on the computer. And if not put a lock to this, our physical and mental health will face the negative effects of screen time.
In this modern world, we do all our daily work in front of the screen. From the small children (toddlers) to adults all age groups are glued to the screen. This can cause severe problems for our human body. People tend to spend more than 12 hours of their day just looking to the screen. Teens are more likely to spend most of their time in front of the screen and radiation from their cell phones. This is because screen time is a sedentary activity, which means you are physically inactive. Things that are done in excess will surely harm our health.
Watching the screen for more time can cause physical and mental diseases. Diseases such as diabetes, cancer, anxiety, depression, and many more. Individual’s screen time is increasing from the past decades. And this is a serious problem. So don’t ignore it as it can cause severe effects.
Negative Effects Of Screen Time
Here are various ways human health may be negatively affected by spending too much time in front of the screen.
1. Obesity
When you are engrossed in a screen, you tend to develop a sedentary lifestyle and bad eating habits. Watching a screen is a time we are most physically inactive. Children eat more when they are watching TV. Even two hours of the day in front of the screen can increase the risk of weight gain, heart diseases, and diabetes. More screen time is equal to more weight.
2. Vision Issues
Computer vision syndrome can be caused by looking at a screen for an extended period of time. Computer vision syndrome is digital eye strain which is related to eye and vision-related problems due to the long use of the screen. Eye strain, eye dryness, blurred vision, and headache are some of the symptoms of computer vision syndrome.
3. Neck And Back Pain
Neck, shoulder, and back pain can be caused by poor posture while using the screen which may also lead to chronic neck, shoulder, and back pain.
4. Insomnia
Poor sleep can be caused by increased use of the screen like watching TV or working on a computer. Blue light from the digital device can suppress the sleep-promoting hormone that is melatonin.
5. Social Media Addiction
People tend to use social media tools for spending time. The overuse of social media tools leads to social media addiction. This tool can be psychologically detrimental. Self-disclosure on the social network site lights on the same part of the brain that can also ignite when taking addictive substances. and this is why social media is very addictive to both physically and psychologically.
6. Depression And Stress
Due to the prolonged use of TV or any other screen can lead to stress and depression. Frequent use of social media and television is one of the causes of depression in teens. People on social media seek external validation that can lead to more depression and self-confidence issues.
Use of screen for more than one hour per day can associate with lower psychological well-being which includes curiosity, less self-control, more distractibility, more difficult social life and making friends, less emotional stability, more difficult to care for, and inability to finish a task and difficulty in concentrating.
7. Nerve Damage
Cell phone elbow refers to damage of facial nerve in the arm by bending elbows too tightly for too long. Patients used phones for prolonged periods of time by bending their elbows. They can suffer from cell phone elbows.
8. Impaired Cognitive Function
Impaired cognitive function is probably one of the critical negative effects of screen time. Spending too much time on screen can lead to less effective information processing. Problems associated with memory, language, thinking, and judgment are caused due to overspending time on screens.
Conclusion
Phone and internet has many advantages, but there is no point of such technology if it fails to keep you healthy. Computers help kids with schoolwork. But spending on too much time will damage your health.
Children under the age of 2 shouldn’t spend a single minute in front of a screen. Over the age of 2, they can watch for 1 to 2 days. The screen has become our daily habit and to get rid of such bad habits takes a lot of strength to fight it. It is hard to stop watching the screen. But you need to cut the time effectively; start by cutting 2 hours a week and double for next week.
Read Also: Is Social Media Hurting Our Mental Health?
