Phones are a hugely important part of our lives, and we are so reliant on them that we can’t imagine life with no phone. Yes, they can be a life-saver these days, and they are so useful that we use them to run our lives. But, have you ever thought about what your phone is doing to you, and particularly to your brain? Smartphones are definitely something we take for granted these days, but we need to know more about what are phones are doing to us.
It has been proven that excessive cell phone use can be problematic for our long-term health. Yes, your phone might be the most important thing in your life, but it could also be doing a lot of unseen damage. Understanding the health ramifications of using your phone too much is very important, and will help you to regulate your usage a little more. These are some of the ways in which your phone can affect your brain.
Your memory gets worse
This is kinda logical – because you don’t have to remember things, your memory automatically becomes worse. This is something that has become much more noticeable much more quickly since cell phone use has become more widespread. This is actually due to something coined The Google Effect, where we default to Google for every single thing. The problem is that as a result of this, your memory is basically lying back and taking a snooze on a sun lounger. You need to wake it up and start using it more.
Anxiety can get worse
It is actually proven that excessive cell phone usage can actually result in your anxiety getting worse. Because you are constantly connected all the time, we can get separation anxiety when we are away from our phones for an extended period. This is something that you need to make sure you fight against as much as possible. Anxiety can really negatively affect many of the other areas of your life, so you need to do as much as possible to prevent this. One of the best things you can do is to have a day each week where you choose not to use your cell phone.
Brain overload
Think about how much information you get from your phone every day. Aside from looking things up online, you have to contend with emails, WhatsApp messages, Facebook notifications, calls, texts, and pop-ups. Naturally, all these can get a little too much for us, and they actually start to overload our brains. One of the major consequences of that is that too many thoughts make us overly tired and miserable all the time. Try to limit the amount you use your phone, and you will wind up with a much more positive mental attitude.
Other areas of your life are lacking
Studies have shown that over using our phones can actually lead to a spike in the levels of GABA in the brain. This is something that interrupts and slows the neurons within the brain that allow us to operate at a regular level. What happens then is that you are unable to operate as normal for the rest of the day and other things in your life are forced to take a back seat. You have poorer attention and control in other areas of your life.
We bet you never knew these were some of the side effects of using your cell phone too much, right?! Now you’ve read this article we hope you will reassess the amount you use your phone, and try to ensure that you cut down on your smartphone usage. You could well find that other areas of your life will improve directly as a result.
