By: Muniba Mahmood
With the recent advancement in technology, the man becomes more slave of a machine. All become dependent and addicted to machinic life and can not imagine their life without it. These advancements and technological involvement in one’s life not only make the life quite easier but difficult too. How it made our lives difficult? Looks strange!!!! But it is a bitter reality. People can spend most of their time in front of machines especially by using tablets, smartphones, and laptops. The frequent use of machines becomes a source of many health problems. The Screen addiction is damaging more health than anything else. A research showed that an adult in the United States spends an average of more than 11 hours a day using a screen. In the United Kingdom, children are using the screen for an average of six and a half hours a day, revealed in another research. 65% of American adults have reported symptoms of digital eye strain. Symptoms of digital eye strain include blurred vision, dry eyes, neck, back pain, and headache.
The dangerous part is that screen on smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers emit blue light that contains more energy than warmer colors. High energy blue light can damage the retina and cause permanent loss of vision. Its excessive exposure can also cause insomnia and result in disrupted sleep patterns. The brain also gets affected by the spending too much time on screen and can alter brain structure and reduce brain function.
Children with the most screen time perform poorly in exams. A research showed that children spending two hours above average on screens drop one grade in four subjects in GCSE Exams the United Kingdom.
All of the above disadvantages do not prove that technological advancement is a bad thing but its improper usage is dangerous. Everything has some pros and cons, it all depends on an individual that how can he use it. In response to the dropping grades and changing brain function, wouldn’t that depend on how the device is used? Anyone can easily imagine there’s a significant difference in the cerebral effects when using social media, playing video games, reading, streaming video, etc.
This is very alarming that even parents do not have time for their children and not focus on their little ones in their childhood when they need them more. A survey in Sweden showed adults spend an average of 30 minutes a day with their kids. Interesting comparison it is.
It is better to take some initiatives now and put some limitations on us. Here are some tips for surely has resulted in a better life. Stop looking at your screen an hour or two before sleep. Install the software Flux on your laptop and Twilight on your Android. Set a timer for yourself to be on the laptop. Close the laptop after that time. Turn off notifications after a specific hour of the day. Make one day per week a technology free day. I have the weekend as technology free days. Also, I deleted the Facebook app from my phone and don’t have the messenger either. Buy devices with a low blue light system and use glasses like Cryzal prevencia .
The screen addiction is 10 times more than drugs. Try to cure ourselves as soon as possible before it’s too late.
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