We live in a world filled with technology. At the forefront of it all: cell phones. We live and breathe with our cell phones by our sides. It makes us wonder: what are our cell phones doing to our brains? The truth is that we must be more cautious. Here are some ways that cell phone usage impairs us and some tips to combat them.
Keeps us up at night
The blue light emitted from our phone can interrupt our bodies’ natural circadian rhythms. Our bodies have adjusted over our lifetimes to understand that blue light is mostly present during the morning. When blue light enters our eyes at night, our bodies want to wake up.
A study in the PNAS Journal proved this when participants found it difficult to sleep after reading from a mobile device. Participants who read from paperback books found, on average, more REM sleep.
Make sure you’re putting away your phone at least 30 minutes before getting into bed. If you need something to do, pull out a book till you drift off to sleep. When we use our phones, we make it more difficult to find a good night’s rest.
Destroying our memory
Before we used cell phones to keep our contacts and information neatly stored, many things had to be memorized. Cell phones give us incredible access to mass amounts of information. They let our brain focus on retaining the information that matters.
But for some people, cell phones hold everything. When this happens, our memory begins to fade, and we must look up every bit of information we need. This could mean constantly using online maps to get us to places in Las Vegas we should know well. It could also mean finding the same recipe online, even if we’ve made the dish tens of times before.
While technology is an incredible storage of information, we must keep our minds active. If we keep our memory in good shape, we can be more productive and stay active away from technology and maintain our overall brain health.
Making us dependent
Cell phones have become an extension of the body. They connect us to our friends and family, and they keep us in touch with the rest of the world. But when we’re away from our cell phones for as little as 10 minutes, we already begin to experience anxiety.
We should cherish the advantages that technology offers, but we should be cautious to form attachments. Even if our phone breaks, we have to be able to function. Try taking some time away from your phone as often as you can. You’ll feel more independent and in tune with your surroundings.
Overloading us with stimuli
Las Vegas is the perfect place to overload our minds with bright, flashy lights. They grab our attention and make the world around us livelier. But, the Las Vegas lights should stick to The Strip and out of our phones. The constant barrage of notifications that we see on our phones overloads us with stimuli. Our mind goes toward a million different places at once, and it becomes difficult to focus.
There are a few ways to keep the stimuli to a minimum. The first of which is to turn off notifications for as many apps as you can. Use the apps on your own time; don’t let them intrude on your other tasks. Second, consider turning your phone’s display into grayscale. This will make the use of your cell phone less addicting. It’ll also decrease the number of stimuli you experience when you must use your phone.
Technology is a major help, but it has overtaken our lives. Take some time to unplug to keep your brain healthy. And if you are experiencing brain health issues, visit your local Las Vegas Neurologist and seek help.