4 ways your smartphone is ruining your life

Without a doubt, cell phones have their benefits, especially when in an emergency situation or to keep in touch with people when out on the road. But the importance most of us have begun giving this small multi-functional gadget is disturbing.

Excessive smartphone use can have a negative impact on health, work life, relationships and more. As compiled from The Telegraph, yourtango.com and Men’s Health magazine, here are reasons you may want to power down.

1. Late-night emails kill productivity

We’re all aiming for promotions and it might seem that working extra hours at night is an effective way to get ahead in life and at work, but new research in Organisational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes found that people, who used their smartphones after 9:00pm, especially for work purposes, experienced poor sleep and a drastic drop in energy the next day at their workplace. Reason being, the blue light emitted by phones can hinder the production of melatonin, a chemical in your body that promotes sleep and peace of mind. Try to ditch the phone after dinner to boost productivity at work.

2. Mobile attachment makes you mentally ill

A lot of people experience ‘phantom vibrations’, thinking or having a feeling that you hear or sense your phone ringing or vibrating when it really isn’t. This condition has become so common and widespread among smartphone users that ‘ringxiety’ is now classified as an actual syndrome that you might be suffering from. In a 2012 study in Computers in Human Behaviour, 89 per cent of college undergraduates in the United States were affected by it, while 87 per cent of hospital workers in another study also admitted to feeling false vibrations. It might appear to be harmless but ringxiety may be making you mentally ill, forcing and conditioning your brain to get confused.

3. All those apps flat line your fitness

We’re all app-addicts but, in spite of a gush in fitness apps designed to promote active lifestyles, avid cell-phone users are still losing the battle of the bulge. Playing Candy Crush, watching movies, reading articles or surfing the internet constantly on your smartphone may lead to a sluggish day and an overall sedentary lifestyle, suggests a 2013 study from Kent State University. Research suggests people who spent large chunks of their time on their phones – as much as 14 hours a day – had the lowest fitness levels. Predictably, participants of the study, who limited their phone use to just 90 minutes a day, proved to be in much better physical shape.

4. Instagram melts your memory

Clicking the right shot and selecting the right filter is a common way for people to share significant moments in life. But overuse of your camera phone could, in fact, affect your ability to mentally recall those moments. Researchers at Fairfield University observed two groups of museum attendees: some took photos of the art they saw, while the rest refrained from taking pictures and just observed. A day later, the amateur photographers couldn’t recall as many details about the art as those who kept their phones tucked away. By conveniently relying on your camera, you’re telling your brain that “the camera’s got it,” and you don’t have to pay attention anymore, which leads to a weak memory, says study author Dr Linda Hinkel.

Compiled By: Umnia Shahid

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2015.

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