Mobile scrolling can be harmful
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began about three years ago, screen time has skyrocketed, particularly among kids. According to a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics, children’s average screen usage has increased by 52% since the start of the pandemic.
According to measuring firm Zenith, the average American adult used mobile internet for over three hours and thirty minutes every day in 2019, an increase of roughly twenty minutes from the previous year, even before the epidemic.
Smartphones Could Influence Our Thought Processes
Health experts are worried that excessive smartphone use can be dangerous, especially to youngsters whose brains are still developing, even if there isn’t currently conclusive evidence that smartphones have a long-term negative impact on the brain.
For instance, studies have indicated that cellphones may have a negative impact on cognition, while further research is required to fully understand the relationship. The process of learning and using information from experiences, thoughts, and the senses is known as cognition.
Like gambling, social media, in my opinion, gives users sporadic positive reinforcement. Likes are rewarded when a user submits a message, and the likelihood of receiving more likes rises with each additional message or scroll. Positive comments and likes are not always given to the user, but when they do happen, it is very fulfilling. According to a neurologist at UNC Health, “the user may unintentionally alter their opinions to please friends who give likes and choose a friend population with shared beliefs.”
How to Keep Your Phone from Harming Your Brain
To increase the health of your brain, you don’t have to give up using your phone entirely. Being conscious of how you use your phone and other gadgets is crucial, as is making time for other pursuits and face-to-face communication whenever you can.
The first action that both adults and children may take is to raise awareness of it. According to Dr. Quinsey, many people are unaware of how much time they are spending on a given screen-based activity.
You can track how many hours you spend on screens on average with most smartphones. Be mindful of the amount of time you are spending.
According to this study, those who use screens more frequently run the risk of developing early neurodegeneration as well as problems with learning, memory, and mental health. According to the study, prolonged screen usage thins the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the brain that processes memory and cognitive processes like problem-solving and decision-making, in adults between the ages of 18 and 25.
