Digital Detox Is As Important As Exercise

In the United States alone, adults spent an average of 3 hours, 35 minutes per day on mobile devices in 2018. By 2019, mobile surpassed TV as the medium attracting the most consumed minutes. Teenage and Millennials internet users spent an average of 4 Hours daily on their mobile devices.

Overall Effects on Health :

Smartphones are a source to emit electromagnetic waves. The WHO/International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has deemed radio-frequency electromagnetic waves as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” and associates it with cellphone use.

Majority cellphone users complain of discomfort at least in one area of upper extremities, back or neck.

Headaches, fatigue, distraction, inattention are the most common symptoms of overtime on digital devices.

Eye tension or insomnia after using a smartphone for more than 2 hours is also the most common symptom. The day you use smartphone 1 hour before going to bed, it will take you more time than average to go to sleep.

Chances of accidents become higher when you are distracted by a smartphone while driving. That’s the reason why there are heavy fines on distracted driving.

Children have the potential to be at greater risk than adults for developing brain cancer from cell phones. Their nervous systems are still developing and therefore more vulnerable to factors that may cause cancer.

Prolonged use of the smartphone can damage our hearing abilities in the long run

The smartphone makes our brains lazy. Nowadays people rely more on the smartphone search a.k.a Google than their own brain power

You will be surprised, but your cell phone can carry more germs than the toilet seat

Some tips that you can follow on the daily basis

• Socialize more with friends without cell phones.
• Practice ‘Devise time-out’ every day ( Start with 2 hours). Encourage your family to put the phones in the middle of the table during a meal. Make a habit to eat without cellphones.
• Once you get used to the devise timeout strategy, try to utilize that time on personal skill development ( learn something new). This will make you more motivated to reduce devise time, eventually.
• Alternate direct cellphone use by wearing earbuds.
• Replace looking at your smartphone before going to bed with a reading habit.
• Eat food rich in omega-3 fatty acids — Examples are Salmon, Walnuts, and Kiwis
• Ask your self, do you know the directions, phone numbers before you reach out for your phone. Try to use your brain, not the device

From the celebrities side, I am a huge fan of Arianna Huffington and her advocation on devise detox. Her books Thrive and The Sleep Revolution are worth reading. A huge initiative was taken by her in partnering with Samsung to release the thrive app. The app actually disconnects you from your phone and reconnects you to yourself. Worth checking.
Note: I am no way affiliated with Thrive

Sources:

www.emarketer.com