5 harmful effects of phone addiction

One in five people in the world owns a smartphone. Phones have even become an obsession, causing bone and joint problems such as pain in fingers, elbows, necks...

Photo: huffpost.com.

Finger and elbow pain

Scrolling, typing, and playing games on your smartphone can cause pain in your fingers. Excessive phone use can also cause tendonitis and aggravate conditions like carpal tunnel. Likewise, your elbows can tingle, become numb, and become red if you flex them for long periods of time.

If your phone is causing you these symptoms, do some wrist flexion. If the pain persists for more than a week, try applying heat. It’s best to see a doctor.

Spinal damage and neck pain

Using your phone for hours on end damages your neck and causes back pain. According to a study in the UK, 84% of young people suffered from back pain in 2014 due to frequent use of smartphones, tablets and computers.

Correct your posture to reduce back pain, and limit your phone use to reduce neck strain. It may seem odd, but sometimes hold your phone straight out in front of you so you don’t have to look down.

Eye damage

Staring at a phone screen full of tiny text and social media posts can lead to eye strain, blurred vision, dry eyes, and dizziness. Blurred vision and stiff neck can cause headaches. If you experience these symptoms, increase the font size on your phone. Smartphone users are advised to keep their phones at least 40 cm away from their eyes. Every few minutes, look away from the screen and look into the distance to give your eyes a break. And don’t forget to blink.

Photo: cloudfront.net.

Cynophobia

Nomophobia is the fear of being without your phone. A study of 1,000 people in the UK found that 66% of the population feared losing or being without their phone. Some of the symptoms of nomophobia include experiencing stress or negative physical symptoms when losing or being unable to use your phone, frantically checking to make sure your phone is with you, and constantly worrying about losing it somewhere.

According to the same study, women are more likely to suffer from cynophobia than men. If you find yourself experiencing similar symptoms, experts recommend taking steps to relieve anxiety, such as deep breathing or yoga.

Obsession with vibrations

A study by a professor at Purdue University in India found that 89% of undergraduates had experienced “phantom vibrations,” which means hearing and feeling their phone vibrate even when it wasn’t actually vibrating. The study also found that students who were too dependent on text messages and social media became anxious when their phones didn’t vibrate.

To limit this situation, turn off the vibration mode and only check your phone at fixed times. If you need to keep your smartphone with you, keep it in your pocket. Try not to check your pocket constantly because otherwise you may become the first victim of “vibrating pocket” syndrome…

According to VnExpress