In a world where people rely on technology, smartphone addiction can occur. From business emails to cashless payments, it's getting easier to get hookeddigital deviceto become. While some think it's just a mental problem, a new study suggests that this constant use affects your brain just as physically as drug addiction.
Develop smartphone addiction
Regions in the brain that scientists call gray matter showed changes in size and shape for people with, according to a study published in the journal Addictive BehaviorsAddiction to social media. Gray matter accordingly controls a person's emotions, language, vision, hearing, memory, and self-control. Other studies have examined similar brain changes due to drug use.
Given their widespread use and increasing popularity, the present study questions the safety of smartphone addiction. This applies at least to people who are at increased risk of developing addictive behavior in connection with the use of such drugsdigital technologiesconsists. This is what the study by researchers at the University of Heidelberg in Germany says.
In the United States, over 24% of children ages 8 to 12 and 67% of their teenage counterparts have their own smartphone. Younger teenagers consume an average of six hours of entertainment media every day. According to a survey, the average American spends around four hours a day on their smartphone.
Analysis in literature published since 2011, when smartphones first became widespread, found that 10 to 30% of children and adolescents used their smartphones in dysfunctional ways. This means that on average 23% had a problematic smartphone addiction. However, companies and giants like Apple and Android offer features that help users manage their screen time. However, other apps like Moment and Freedom Smartphone Junkies help block access to certain apps and websites.
The researchers investigated in theStudyalso the connections between this type of smartphone use and mental health. They found a consistent association between cell phones and poor mental health measures. This is particularly true in relation to depressed mood, anxiety, stress, poor sleep quality and level of education.
