Do You Know The Smartphone Syndrome?

Smartphones can cause dependency. In some countries there are already rehabilitation centers for those who are not able to live without their mobile phone.

What is smartphone syndrome and why is it causing an alert? The smartphone is one of the electronic devices that has reached the most users until today. An estimated 3 billion people have at least one.

This opens the possibility of accessing thousands of applications for almost any purpose. However, for some time it has been warned that it brings  negative health effects, especially on those who end up having an addiction.

Many still do not even know they suffer from it and are unaware that their health problems have some kind of relationship with it. Now, what are those problems derived from the smartphone syndrome ? We share them in detail below.

Smartphone syndrome : what are its consequences?

These consequences of excessive use of the mobile phone are known as smartphone syndrome and bring together a series of physical and psychological disorders that deteriorate the quality of life.

Visual difficulties

One of the first parts of the body affected is the eyes. This occurs because the light emitted by these devices deteriorates sight.

The most aggravating, unlike other devices, is that the smartphones usually involve closer to the eyes, making the impact of the stronger light.

In fact, various studies show that several of the components of the so-called “blue light” of smartphones affect the photosensitive cells of the retina and can end up destroying them.

Where the experts on the subject have the most impact is that the damages are usually irreversible, which is a serious problem for those who develop them.

There are currently some filters for mobile screens available on the market. These allow you to block harmful light waves.

Muscle pains

Using the smartphone for several hours without rest leads to severe muscle discomfort in areas such as the back and neck.

Not knowing how to use them moderately and having them in your hands until going to sleep is an almost certain place to develop tension and pain in these areas of the body.

Physiotherapists who have studied these behaviors reveal that the posture that most people adopt to use these devices is usually not the most appropriate.

Given this, they recommend doing it sitting on a chair, using both hands and with the device resting on the table. In addition, using only the thumb or a single finger to manipulate it increases the risk of tendonitis.

Psychological disorders

When an individual feels that he is not able to be without checking his smartphone for several hours, there is a high probability that he will suffer from episodes of the most common psychological disorders.

The dependence created by these devices increases the feeling of depression, anxiety, stress and other emotional states that affect the private, social and work life of the person.

One of the most influential factors is the possibility they offer to be aware of what others are doing. In the case of couples or friends, this may cause concern, anxiety or jealousy, among others.

On the other hand, it must be taken into account that these are causing the social isolation of many, changing physical relationships for virtual ones.

Addiction

Continuing with the previous effect, it is important to make a special mention of the addiction it generates. In fact, many have had to go to psychological therapy to overcome their smartphone dependency problems .

The anxiety it causes has been compared to that experienced by drug addicts. In addition, some have expressed feeling an emotional emptiness by not having it in their hands for some time.

The internet connection and instant messaging or social media applications are at the top of the things that people feel they need most often.

So serious is the situation that some countries, such as the United States, already have rehabilitation centers  for those who cannot live without their smartphone .

In the Community of Madrid, for example, a program has been launched to train young people in the responsible use of mobile phones to prevent the onset of this syndrome.

Smartphone syndrome : ready to change?

And you? Do you think you have smartphone syndrome ? Have you identified with any of the above situations? The mobile phone has become such an indispensable device that sometimes it is difficult to realize that you are abusing its use …

But smartphone addiction is a real problem with negative consequences, as we have seen. Therefore, it is important not to ignore it, but to act now and try to change your habits.

With this we do not mean that you stop using your mobile completely, at all. Simply, you should make a more responsible use of it, limiting the number of hours you use it per day.

In this sense, there are applications that allow you to restrict the hours you spend in other applications: half an hour, an hour … The time is up to you. You can gradually try to unhook yourself. Try it! It will seem impossible, but everything is starting.