Smartphone addiction – Are you a prospective candidate for smartphone thumb?

smartphoneIn the yesteryears, little was it known that one day, people couldn’t do without a phone and that it would become an integral part of our lives. Over the years, mobile technology has evolved for the better, each time offering better and improved experience to users from across the globe. Thanks to ever evolving mobile technology that has made this particular device called “smartphone” indispensible to mankind. In this artcle, let us explore more about getting addicted to smartphones and how it impacts your life, both socially and healthwise.

A “necessary evil”

If you ask anyone about how life would be without a smartphone, be ready to get the much expected reply and that is “it would be impossible”. However, although, this device has proved to be a boon in many ways, nevertheless, it is causing many side effects. Addiction to Smartphone is becoming a serious problem and it is being ascertained that the same will rise in the future unless it is made judicious use of.

Susceptibility to nomophobia

As per studies conducted, it has been observed that majority of the people suffer from so called nomophobia, which is the other name for phobia of staying away from your smart phone. This gives you to a feeling that staying away from your phone has disconnected you from the rest of the world. And statistics indicates that 72% of the people suffer from this disorder.

Why does smart phone addiction take place?

It has been observed that experts are of the opinion that due to the following reasons, individuals (regardless of the age) tend to get addicted to their phones. These include the following-

  • Individuals that suffer from loneliness
  • Children and adults suffering from attention deficit
  • Obsessive compulsive disorder
  • Depression
  • Social anxiety and panic
  • Stress due to trauma

These are just few of the reasons why people tend to turn to smart phones.

Side effects of smart phone addiction

Given below are the side effects of excessive use of smart phones.

  • Smart phone thumb- One of the most notable effects is so called smart phone thumb. When you are suffering from this disorder, it means that the tendon surrounding the thumb that is responsible for bending and flexing becomes swollen or inflamed. This usually happens if you are texting excessively. The repetitive movements eventually lead to so called “arthritis of the thumb”. One theory explains that since there is repetitive movement in the thumb, motion of the bones become irregular and this gives rise to pain and eventually osteoarthritis. As such, it is best to exercise discretion and not text too much while using your smart phone.
  • Human interaction is limited- Earlier, exchange of letters and greeting cards was popular. However, ever since emails and electronic exchange of greetings have become popular, human interaction has become minimum. As a result, communication is now mechanical and lacks the human touch or feeling. This is severely damaging for the upcoming generation. Even children tend to stay engrossed with playstation and virtual games that are available on smart phones if apps are downloaded (either for free or as paid service).
  • Inability to distinguish between bad and good – This is particularly applicable for smaller children and the ones about to attain adolescence. Excessive texting, living a virtual life (by interacting on social media platforms, and networking with known as unknown people), many tend to get diverted and adopt an unhealthy lifestyle. They are unable to understand what is right and wrong and end up falling prey to bad company through various social platforms available virtually.

However, with a little bit of discretion and guidance from the elders, these consequences can be curbed greatly.

Aadarsh

Aadarsh is a talented content writer who specializes in creating informative articles on business and technology topics. He is a regular contributor to the popular website, Nogentech.org, where his articles are widely read and highly appreciated by readers from all around the world.

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