ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Are you addicted to your smart phones? The more time you spend on it, the more it changes your brain. 2.7 billion people around the world own a smart phone—a typical user checks their phone every 12 minutes! On average, kids get their first phone at age 12. It’s no wonder smart phone addiction is becoming a problem, but not only is it habit forming … it could be brain changing.
From talking on it, to playing on it, to working on it. Most of us have become dependent on it. How many hours a day to do you think you spend on your phone? New research shows using our phones too much can change your brain. German researchers found diminished grey matter volume in key regions of the brain associated with hearing, memory, emotions, speech, decision-making, and self-control. This also happens in the mind of drug addicts.
To save your brain and break your addiction, experts say to set aside one day a week and only use your phone in an emergency. Use apps to bolster self-control. Space lets you set goals and track your progress. Moment uses daily exercises to help you use your phone in a healthier way. Also, change your phone settings. Turn off notifications, remove distraction-based apps from your home screen, and set a longer passcode. Learning how to use our smartphones effectively may be one of the most important life skills any of us can learn.
Also, don’t charge your phone near your bed. Many of the negative effects of overuse like poor sleep, hindered communication and intimacy can be eliminated by keeping your cell phone out of your bedroom.
Sources:
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/break-your-cell-phone-habit/
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Bob Walko, Videographer and Editor.
To receive a free weekly email on Smart Living from Ivanhoe, sign up at: http://www.ivanhoe.com/ftk
