The dangers of phone addiction
Smartphones play a big role in our lives. Sometimes people just can’t seem to get away from them and it turns into phone addiction.
It is easy to see why we love to keep our smartphones close. It helps us connect and carry out complicated day-to-day tasks. Sometimes we don’t even have to think that hard, because a smartphone is right there to give us the answer right when we want it. A smartphone is also a primary entertainment device for most of us. Wherever we are, we can watch movies, play games, or stream music.
However, it is this extreme level of convenience a smartphone provides that causes phone addiction. Because people can use the comfort and convenience of a smartphone in the wrong way. They can use it to hide from their problems and disassociate from the world while staying trapped inside a bubble with their phone on hand.
Phone addiction is dangerous. Who knew that a device that is so helpful for our day-to-day can also bring so much damage? it also does not pick an age. A teen or even an old adult can have a phone addiction.
Who is likely to fall victim to phone addiction?
As we said, phone addiction does not pick an age. Anyone can be addicted to their device because of games, browsing, texting, or video streaming. This makes it hard for a phone addict to look away from a phone and interact with other people. But the most common victim is teenagers. Because teenagers are not that effective when it comes to managing their screen time.
Most teenagers find it hard to stay away from their phones because they spend too much time in online games, chatting with friends, or binge-watching their favorite shows. This is worrying because phone addiction among teenagers can lead to them developing behavioral problems.
Other smartphone users who are at risk of phone addiction are users who suffer from anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Users who are also oftentimes impulsive, introverted, or have no self-control are also at risk.
What are the effects?
Aside from keeping someone away from experiencing amazing and happy moments with friends and family, phone addiction also has other impacts that can affect a person’s mental state.
A person who has a phone addiction is likely to develop mental health problems. This is backed by scientific studies that prove how phone addiction can lead to depression, chronic stress, anxiety, and low emotional stability. It can also cause poor work and school performance because a phone can be a major distraction. People who find it hard to focus on their work or school because of phone addiction suffer from poor performance. Another effect is lack of sleep. Being unable to stop using a phone right before bed contributes to insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, and overall poor sleep quality.
So, how do you know if you have a phone addiction?
The symptoms of smartphone addiction are obvious. Other than excessive use, if your smartphone heavily interferes with your work, school, daily activities, or quality time for no important reason, then you may have a phone addiction. Feelings of irritation, sadness, anger, and anxiety when you don’t have access to your smartphone are also clear signs. And, worst of all is when you start to lose a sense of time, put your career at risk, and start to feel unpleasant physical effects because of excessive smartphone usage.
The best thing for you to do to avoid smartphone addiction is to set a definite line between you and your phone that you should never cross. Make rules for yourself that limit how much you are allowed to use your phone in a day. Especially, if there are not that many important events that require your immediate attention. Tracking your screen time is also helpful in giving you an awareness of how much you used your phone. And if all this doesn’t work, then consider removing the apps causing your addiction and find different and healthy hobbies that you can engage yourself in.
Smartphones are definitely important for our day-to-day life. They are functional pieces of technology that continue to introduce new features that can make our work and user experience more pleasant. It is important to understand that however great, comforting, and convenient they may be for us, smartphones are still tools. Use it to be more efficient and effective in what you do and never let it consume you.
