Do you have an addiction? We’re not talking about anything illegal here, and we’re not necessarily (although you’ll see why) talking about anything unhealthy, but nonetheless, we are still talking about something that can take up a lot of time and mean you miss out on real life quite a bit. In case you haven’t yet guessed, we’re talking about how much you use your smartphone. 

Smartphone use has grown hugely over the last few years, and now that phones are so sophisticated and can do so much, many people rely on them for all kinds of things, from shopping to banking to directions and more. Yet as useful as they are (some would say one hundred percent necessary for modern life), they can also easily become addictive; we’ll just check one more time to see if there are any emails, we’ll scroll endlessly through social media, and we’ll watch videos whenever the chance arises – among much, much more.  

If you feel your smartphone has become a bit of an addiction rather than a helpful tool to use in your daily life, you’re not the only one. The good news is that although it’s going to be hard to reduce your usage, knowing why it’s a good idea will be helpful – keep the following facts in mind, and you’ll find it easier to cut down. Read on to find out more. 

They Cause Neck And Back Pain

A lot of the time, when you use your smartphone, you’ll be looking down at it with your neck bent and your shoulders hunched. This is such a common position to take up that it even has a name – ‘text neck’ (although it’s something you’ll probably do even if you’re not texting). It’s all down to the fact that our heads are heavy, and when they’re lowered in that position, they put too much pressure on the spine, causing neck and back pain. If you ever find yourself aching at the end of the day, it could well be because of text neck.

If you use your phone less – only when it’s necessary, for example, or for shorter periods of time if you use it for fun and leisure – your neck and back will stop hurting quite so much. Be careful, though, permanent damage can occur, so it’s best to stop sooner rather than later. If you do find you’re in pain and you can’t stop it, even if you do cut down on your mobile phone usage, it’s a good idea to seek expert help from somewhere like Arc Osteopathy will reduce it and get you back on an even keel. 

They’re Dirty

Surely smartphones can’t be all that dirty? After all, you probably wipe the screen a few times a day to clean it when it’s looking greasy, and you wouldn’t be able to see the screen properly if you just left it grimy. Well, you might well clean it regularly (of course, you might not – not everyone does), but that doesn’t mean it’s not still dirty. Sometimes, something can look clean but actually be teeming with germs. 

Just think of all the places we take our phones in the course of the day. They’ll very often go into the bathroom with us and into toilet cubicles. They’ll go into kitchens. They’ll go on public transport. They’ll go everywhere you go, and if you think about it, that could include some pretty unpleasant places. Even if you wash your hands, you won’t wash your phone. 

That means your phone is absolutely covered in germs, and every time you touch it, your hands get dirtier as a result. Limiting its usage means you can stay at least a little cleaner.

They Stop You Sleeping

Ah, that feeling of getting into bed after a long day and drifting off to sleep… it’s wonderful. Only it’s probably not what you do. You’ll probably get into bed, get comfy, and then start scrolling through your phone, possibly for hours. That means you’re not getting enough sleep, especially if you went to bed late and/or have to get up early. So clearly, using the phone in bed affects how long you can sleep, and a lack of sleep leads to many potentially dangerous problems. 

Then there’s the blue light issue. Smartphones (and other screens) emit what’s known as blue light. You can’t see it, but it affects your body’s ability to create melatonin, which is what tells you it’s time to sleep – it’s what helps make you feel tired. The blue light confuses the brain into thinking it’s still daytime, so it doesn’t set the wheels in motion to make melatonin. 

By reducing your smartphone usage in the evenings, you’ll sleep better, and your health will improve as a result.