Because of the easy availability of different mobile devices and Internet, more and more people are using such devices and using them for a longer duration. Technology has made our lives easier – but all of these come at a cost.

Recent findings

A survey conducted by Vizulize, eye care experts, found that 40% of 18-24 year-olds use their phone between 4-5 hours a day. This is a lot of time. The same study also found that 65% of 18-24 year-olds were worried about the effects on their eye health, whilst 77% of those between 18-24 were worried about the effects on their mental health from their phone usage. And they are right because there are so many negative impacts of too much screen time.

Whether it’s Instagram, which is probably the most popular at among the 18-24 age brackets; or Facebook, Tiktok YouTube or any other app, young adults are spending more and more time glued to their mobile phone and tablets.

Such actions have negative consequences. Let’s find out how to much screen time can result in both mental and physical negative consequences for anyone, especially those in the 18 to 24 age brackets.

Negative effects

Obesity

When you’re using your phone more, you’re likely to become sedentary and as a result of that, the probability of becoming obese will increase.

Behaviour problems

If you’re using your computer, mobile phone or tablets more and more, you’re likely to have emotional, social and attention problems. They may arise because of different reasons but such problems are often seen in children and adults spend more of their time glued to the screen.

Sleep problems

Too much screen time before bed can cause insomnia and other sleep problems. If you have tried that before bedtime, probably you already know how it can delay falling asleep and you may not be able to get the required amount of sleep necessary for normal functioning.

Educational problems

Academic testing found that children who spend more time in front of the TV, computer or mobile phone do poorly in school and college.

Damage to your brain

Grey matter atrophy, compromised white matter integrity, reduced cortical thickness and impaired cognitive functioning are some of the problems which can be caused by too much screen time. Such problems generally happen because children, young adults and adults who spend too much in front of the screen often suffer from sensory overload, lack of restorative sleep and a hyper-aroused nervous system. All of that can be called electronic screen syndrome and they can damage your brain and its functioning.

Eye problems

This is one of the major concerns of anyone worried about the negative impacts of too much of screen time. Spending too much time in front of the screen can damage your retina through phototoxicity and may result in other physical damages to your eyes. Some of them include eyestrain, tired eyes, irritation and dry eyes and there are long-term effects which may play plague you for a long time creating other health conditions. According to some ophthalmic scientists, the blue light, more screen time, eye strain and other related factors can increase the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.