3 ways to reduce your screen time | Improve Mental & Physical Health |

Though a clinical diagnosis hasn’t been formally made yet, the concept of phone addiction is being thoroughly researched because there’s a lot of evidence that there are serious consequences to prolonged screen time. Not only can it affect your mental health, but it may also affect your physical health as well.

The dopamine consumption loop theory has been proposed as the underlying mechanism that causes people to frequently check their phone.

The theory suggests that notifications from our phones cause little bursts of dopamine to be sent to our brains. And when we put our phones down, we naturally miss that feeling that the dopamine gave us, making us look forward to refreshing our screen and getting some more.

According to a research article published in 2015, adolescents who reported higher screen time on their devices were more likely to have poorer mental health and academic outcomes. Most reported mental health symptoms were associated with low self-esteem and depressive symptoms.

In 2019, the American Cardiologist Association found people who used their phones for more than 5 hours a day were more likely to have a diet consisting of sugary drinks and fast food. Additionally, there is a correlation with increased weight gain due to the sedentary activity of being on your phone. Unfortunately, a sedentary lifestyle can lead to premature death due to the development of diabetes or heart disease.

A study in 2019 found that 1 in 5 8 year olds have a smartphone, which is an 11% increase from 2015. So now imagine how toddlers will be when gen z becomes parents? The earlier kids are receiving phones and the more usage on these devices can lead to an even more dependence on technology.

3 Tips to consider to reduce your screen time and improve your digital wellness:

1. Turn off notifications/delete apps.

2. Set a weekly/daily screen time limit.

3. Replace screen time with a hobby that does not require a smart phone.

References
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160302121325.htm

https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/articles/2019/07/25/17/00/does-five-or-more-hours-of-smartphone-usage-per-day-increase-obesity

https://clinical-psychiatry.imedpub.com/smartphone-addiction-a-new-disorder-or-just-a-hype.pdf

https://nypost.com/2019/07/26/your-smartphone-may-be-making-you-fat/

ihttps://abcnews.go.com/US/teens-spend-hours-screens-entertainment-day-report/story?id=66607555

https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/home/topics/addiction/criteria-for-identification-of-smartphone-addiction/

http://repositori.uji.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10234/186798/JAMA_Pediatrics.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/research/2019-census-8-to-18-f
ull-report-updated.pdf

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160302121325.htm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4357330/

https://www.lemonade.com/blog/psychology-behind-phone-addiction/

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/07/exploiting-the-neuroscience-of-internet-addiction/259820/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6CBb3yX9Zs

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