Including a stroke during sleep. These are the dangers of mobile phones for us

Mobile phones have become an essential tool that helps us manage our lives and business, and it is one of the most used technologies in the world, and it has become an integral part of our daily lives, whether for communication or clearing many basic transactions.

Global addiction

A scientific report published in 2022 found that adults in the United States of America check their phones on average 344 times a day (once every 4 minutes), and spend at least 3 hours a day on their devices.

The report showed that 74% of Americans feel uncomfortable leaving their phones at home, 71% said they check their phones within the first ten minutes of waking up, and 47% consider themselves "addicted" to their phones.

In the rest of the world, there are more than 6.92 billion smartphone users worldwide, according to Statista, which means that 86.2% of the world's population owns a smartphone.

According to a 2021 survey, almost half of respondents said they spend 5 to 6 hours a day on their mobile phones, and research revealed that 71% of users of these phones already sleep with their devices, and about a third of users never turn off their phones.

Excessive phone use leads to changes in the mind, particularly in the processes of concentration and attention (Getty Images)

What effect do mobile phones have on the human brain?

Several studies suggest that excessive phone use leads to changes in the mind, particularly in the processes of concentration and attention. For example, according to a report published by the British platform "BBC" (BBC) a few days ago, excessive use of mobile phones leads to a decrease in the ability to focus and attention, and increases stress and anxiety levels.

A simple preoccupation with checking the phone, even to see a message notification, for example, can have serious negative consequences, as doing several tasks at the same time impairs memory and performance, and reduces the ability to concentrate.

Dangerous impact while driving

One study found that simply answering a phone call while driving – not typing a text message – was enough to make drivers react much slower on the road.

According to another study in the United States, more than 3100,424 people were killed and about 2019,<> injured in traffic accidents caused by a "distracted" driver in <>. One of the most prominent distractions is mobile phones.

Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMTelematics) reported that drivers in the United States spent an average of one minute and 38 seconds on their mobile phones per hour of driving in February 2022.

The same is true for less risky daily tasks as well: just hearing Deng's notification made participants in another study perform much worse at the tasks required of them, almost as well as participants who were talking or texting on the phone while they were working.

A child looking at the phone at close range for long hours may increase myopia in future generations (Shutterstock)

Mental laziness

Other sources point out that excessive use of mobile phones affects the way we think and our brain's ability to perceive. A scientific study published in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research found that human cognitive ability drops dramatically when a smartphone is within reach.

With these phones, too, we no longer need to use memory to memorize a certain number, or find our way around the city, as our phones do all these tasks for us. Studies show that over-reliance on our mobile phones can lead to mental laziness, according to UNC healthtalk.

Effect on vision and mental development of children

There is a significant increase in the number of children suffering from "myopia", according to ophthalmologist Dr. Maga Kostek, who says there are currently studies to measure the impact of smartphone use on children's long-distance vision.

She adds that if children look at phones at close range for long hours without any interruption, this could lead to more myopia in future generations.

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine have taken a closer look at the impact of children's use of smartphones and tablets, as these devices have become the dominant way to calm young children from parents. The researchers examined its impact on "developing their internal mechanisms of self-regulation."

Experts have found that hands-on activities involving direct human interaction outperform interactive screen games, with the use of mobile devices in particular becoming a real problem when these devices replace practical activities that help develop children's motor and mental skills.

The researchers also wondered whether excessive use of smartphones and tablets might interfere with the development of social and problem-solving skills that are better acquired while playing and interacting with peers, Very Will mind reported in a report.

The blue light emitted by the screens of smart devices affects the body's biological clock and sleep quality (Shutterstock)

The impact of smartphones on sleep

Many experts suggest that using smartphones before bed can affect their quality. The blue light emitted by smartphone screens affects the body's biological clock, and thus the ability to sleep, which can cause major health problems, such as a stroke.

Finally, we should not get rid of our mobile phones, or delete them completely from our lives, which is difficult or almost impossible in the time of the fourth technological revolution that we are living in now. But what we can do is prioritize ourselves, be aware of the dangerous effects of these devices on our health and minds, and not give in to the addictive factors that tech companies are good at putting in our way.

Use your phone when you really need it, and be careful that your phone becomes an integral part of your hands.