Are you hypnotized by your smartphone?

The Smartphone Addiction

Cell phones used to just be communication tools. Now, they’re GPS, cameras, gaming consoles, health trackers, and the list goes on. We turn to our devices for everything  — from waiting in line at the grocery store or reading the news, to filing our taxes or controlling the thermostat. We don’t just use our smartphones for everything — we rely on them.Have you ever experienced a lack of focused attention and distractibility caused by the "itch that needs to be scratched" temptation to constantly keep checking your smartphone? I have.  If left to my own devices, I would check my phone incessantly.

Teens are hooked on these handheld devices, hypnotized by the latest apps, and by the blue light screen. Their brains are continuously hacked by these artificial devices.cognitive capacity and overall brain power are significantly reduced when your smartphone is within glancing distance—even if it’s turned off and face down—according to a recent study.

Nomophobia( have a fear of being detached from mobile phone connectivity) is considered a modern phobia. In other words, it most likely stems from increased reliance on technology and concern over what might happen if you suddenly couldn’t access needed information.

The brain on “smartphone” is the same as the brain on cocaine: we get an instant high every time our screen lights up with a new notification. It’s all thanks to dopamine, the feel-good chemical that gets released every time you do something you enjoy, like eating your favourite meal or getting a hundred likes on your latest Instagram post. Dopamine reinforces (and motivates) behaviour that makes us feel good and, in turn, can create addiction.

It’s worth noting that there are some important similarities between cell phone overuse and behavioural addictions like compulsive gambling.

The similarities include:

• loss of control over the behavior
• persistence, or having real difficulty limiting the behavior
• tolerance, the need to engage in the behavior more often to get the same feeling
• severe negative consequences stemming from the behavior
• withdrawal, or feelings of irritability and anxiety when the behavior isn’t practiced
• relapse, or picking up the habit again after periods of avoidance.

Effects of heavy smartphone usage:

Brain Cancer:

Mobile phones emit radio frequency energy, a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, which can be absorbed by tissues close to the phone. The amount of radio frequency energy a mobile phone user is exposed to depends on many factors such as the technology of the phone, the distance between the phone and the user, the extent and type of mobile phone use and the user’s distance from cell phone towers. Scientists have reported adverse health effects of using mobile phones including changes in brain activity, reaction times, and sleep patterns. By now, it is well known that cell phones give off radiation. This radiation is said to affect our brain cells directly; often mutating existing cells into cancerous cells, hence, causing brain cancer.

Increases stress level:

Cell phones cause stress in many ways and in many forms. When one gets used to a cell phone, they also become slowly dependent on it. It becomes very difficult, then, to be apart from it for any period of time. We start fidgeting and worrying when our cell phones start losing battery. Moreover, new research shows how people get anxious when they can’t answer calls or reply to texts once they see their mobile phone’s screen light up, even if they are in a meeting, or a lecture.

Weakens immune system:

We all have noticed the oily, greasy residue on the screen of our cell phones. This residue contains more disease-causing germs than found on a toilet seat. These germs attack the immune system of humans and weakens it. Thus, making an individual more prone to diseases.

Chronic pain:

Continuously holding the cell phone in one position, constant use of fingers while sending e-mails ant text messages at rapid speed causes extreme pain and inflammation. We all have the habit of multitasking. Thus holding the phone between the ear, neck and shoulder increases the risk of back pain. “Long periods of cell phone use cause you to arch your neck and hold your body in a strange posture. This can lead to back pain,” says Healthcentral.com

Eye/ vision problems:

Recent studies show that, within five minutes of waking up, 90% of people check their phones. Exposing your eyes to that kind of light in the day itself is harmful, but right after you wake up, when you can’t even make out what is what, it is extremely harmful. Even children who don’t own laptops, or sit in front of the computer, use cell phones for almost everything. This can only result in the next generation full of bespectacled teenagers.

There are a number of adverse effects in addition to those listed above.

How to break the addiction:

Ignoring smartphones can add to your anxiety, and it may cause more compulsive disorder to use them.Instead, try these practical tips to effectively combat the addiction to smartphones.

• Remove time-consuming apps from your phone and access them through a device you don’t carry with you all day.
• Change your settings to eliminate push notifications and other disruptive alerts.
• Set your screen to gray scale to keep it from waking you at night.
• Place some barriers around your phone use that force you to think about what you’re doing. For example, you could create lock screen questions, like “Why now?” and “What for?”
• Keep your phone out of sight. Charge your phone somewhere besides your bedroom.
• Develop hobbies that feed your soul. Replace the games and social media apps with hands-on, real-world activities, like meeting up with friends, creating music or art, or doing volunteer work.
• Adopt a growth mindset. Brief relapses, adjustments, and withdrawal symptoms are part of a journey toward healthier phone use. Don’t expect to get it right immediately. Expect some setbacks, and learn from each experience.

People who develop a dependent pattern of phone use typically experience a loss of control. They often find that their cell phone habits are causing real damage in their lives.

If your phone use has become problematic, or if it feels like it’s become an addiction, there are steps you can take to retrain yourself to use your phone in healthier ways. Cognitive behavioural therapy and digital detox programs can both be very effective at reclaiming a sense of control over your phone use.

Pathological phone use has given rise to a raft of new terminology, such as:

Nomophobia: the fear of going without your phone.

Textaphrenia: the fear that you can’t send or receive texts.

Phantom vibrationsTrusted Source: the feeling that your phone is alerting you when it really is not.

Have you ever experienced phantom vibrations like I have😜😜😜😜😜