Gadget-strophe: The Health Risks of Technology

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Kids these days are very much attached to their mobile gadgets, laptops, or any electronically ran device and this might be a big problem in the future. Due to the rigorous advancements in technology, a lot of kids lost their interest in using the conventional toys and books and are mostly stuck swiping, clicking, and pressing unto their loved devices. A lot of parents should be aware of the consequences of overuse and overexposure of their children to electronic gadgets.

When Technology Bytes

Our well-trusted gadgets may seem to pose no threats to us since they provide that ease of access to anything that we want, whether it is for information, learning, online shopping, games, and a lot more. But the truth of the matter is excessive use of our dear electronic devices has a detrimental effect on our body most especially to children.

More often than not, children who are exposed to gadgets at a very early age can cause them to acquire vision problems and seizures. This is very much true for those kids who spend a lot of time in front of their electronic devices. It has been said that spending more than two hours on these gadgets can already cause irreversible effects towards a child’s development especially

the cognitive function of their brains.

[https://www.worldvision.org.ph/stories/keeping-children-away-bad-effects-gadget-overuse/]

The sad thing about this one is that most parents don’t see it as a threat since their kids use these gadgets for entertainment and mostly for educational purposes. But as it progresses, just like any other kind of addiction wherein too much is rather a bad thing, gadget-addiction begins to develop and the children or even adults lose the connection to the real world and rely much on the use of their technological devices.

More than just the buzz

Any kind of addiction, whether simple or not, is still an addiction. To go further through this topic, we gathered some of the worst-case scenarios that were brought upon by the excessive use of gadgets. Most of these affect the important senses that we use all the time and if are left unseen will cause serious problems in the future.

• Stress

First on our list and probably a shocker. Yes, you can get very stressed when you drown yourself into the use of gadgets. Your wrists, shoulders, and hands will, later on, feel terrible pain due to the non-stop handling of your mobile devices.

Another thing that contributes to stress is the wrong head and body angles when you are using your gadgets like lying down or even on public transports. Stress is one of the primary cause of other hard-hitting diseases because it lowers your immune system making you vulnerable to diseases. [https://ph.theasianparent.com/gadget-use-harm-health/]

• Eye problems

This one is an obvious effect because of the strain that your eyes experience when you have countless hours staring at the screen of your smartphone or laptops or any other gadgets that have LCD screens. This must be put into a big consideration especially for your kids. Yes, they might be learning a thing or two from their educational apps but the downside of it is that it affects the eyes in so many levels.

Headaches, dryness of the eyes, myopia, fatigue, and a blurry vision are just a few effects of too much exposure to these technological products. [https://ph.theasianparent.com/gadget-use-harm-health/]

Computer Vision Syndrome is the medical condition where your eyes can’t adapt to the sudden change of lighting due to the long hours of staring at a monitor screen. The symptoms of this condition are eyestrains, irritation, and redness of the eyes, blurry vision, tired eyes, and most often times you see double.

[ https://www.webmd.com/men/features/7-ways-hightech-gadgets-could-be-hurting-you#1]

• Obesity

Oh yes! You can get fat in a very unhealthy manner just by spending too much time on your gadgets. This is due to the time that you are mostly sitting down and hanging with your gadgets rather than getting up and having some real-life action. Remember that it is very important to let your muscles and body move constantly or else that food that you take will just be stored as fat as well as the unused energy coming from it.

The same thing goes with too much binge watching of your favorite TV shows or series and not moving even an inch. You wouldn’t notice it that much but you tend to eat more when you are just sitting down and being too excited about the sweet moments of your favorite TV characters or getting down and digitally dirty with your favorite character from a video game.

[https://www.webmd.com/men/features/7-ways-hightech-gadgets-could-be-hurting-you#2]

• Hearing problems

Here’s another one that you should look after when you are a gadget addict. It is commonly observed in kids especially those who love to bust up some heavy sounds or full volume on their earphones or headphones. Doing this at a very prolonged period of time can be very serious and may damage your or your kid’s ears and may often lead to hearing impairment.

Remember that anything in excess can be really bad for the health. There are higher risks of having hearing disabilities in younger people if at an early age they have been exposed to too much noise or high volumes while stuck on their headphones. It causes nerve damage that is very irreversible.

Posture problems

Too much sitting and slouching due to gadgets may cause back and neck pains. Some studies show that children as early as 11 to 16 years old already experience pains on their necks and backs. These can greatly affect their posture in the future and may lead to more serious injuries that will hinder them to live a better life. [https://ph.theasianparent.com/gadget-use-harm-health/]

Gadget Addiction Symptoms

How can you ever tell that someone has become addicted to gadgets? It is not merely seeing a person almost half of his or her day sitting down and locking their eyes on the screen. There are more than meets the eye when it comes to this serious condition.

• Loss of focus

This is relatively one of the things that are evident in a person who is addicted to gadgets. They tend to lose interest in other things and if are detached for just even a minute from their electronic devices, will become lost in translation and will be focusing more on how to get back on their games or shows rather than doing something more worthwhile.

• Memory problems

“Digital Dementia” or that loss of memory due to excessive exposure to gadgets are becoming a thing now. Overuse of gadgets leads to a chemical imbalance in the brain that affects the way we remember things and relatively damages our brain cells which later on turns into dementia.

• Infertility

This is the sad truth about gadget addiction. Due to overexposure to gadgets which emits radiation or electromagnetic field (better known as EMF) reproductive organs and cells becomes sterile because of the mutations and genetic disturbances caused by these harmful waves. [https://www.onlymyhealth.com/are-you-addicted-to-your-gadgets-1416221746]

• Lack of sleep

Insomnia hits hard for people who are becoming gadget dependent. They try to sacrifice their sleeping time for more hours of gadget time. Remember that having enough sleep helps our body regenerate and recover from a tiring day or replenish those used cells in our body.

Getting not enough sleep can hinder normal body functions leading to more serious diseases that you don’t want to acquire. Aside from that, the radiation coming from the screens of our gadgets reduces the production of melatonin in our body which is responsible for making us falling asleep. [https://www.boldsky.com/health/wellness/2014/harmful-effects-of-electronic-gadgets-on-health-039104.html]

Prevention is Always Better Than Cure

Using gadgets isn’t that bad. Overusing it is the real deal. Always allot just the right amount of time for your gadgets by scheduling when the most and crucial time that you need to use them.

If you can’t avoid using too much of your gadget, make sure to have ample breaks in between uses to prevent contracting nasty diseases.

Try turning off your phone when it is already time to sleep. This will prevent you from constantly checking up on your phones leading to more hours of screen time than bedtime. [https://www.onlymyhealth.com/are-you-addicted-to-your-gadgets-1416221746]

When it comes to your kids, as much as possible, don’t give them electronic gadgets at a very young age. Allow them to discover the world in their very own hands and feet and let their body move rather than having them nailed on their seats for the rest of the day.

Let your kids get involved in sports and other recreational activities. There is a lot to explore in this world and as a parent, it is your responsibility to create a better and healthier world for them. It is not bad to introduce them to gadgets but make sure to limit the time they spent on it. [https://www.worldvision.org.ph/stories/keeping-children-away-bad-effects-gadget-overuse/]

Don’t let technology control you. Don’t forget that above all, us humans are more in control compared to these gadgets that we created. Have more time with your family or friends and live a healthier life for a better future ahead of you.

Bio: I am Ryan Norwood Canon, a health and  fitness writer for almost a decade and the co-founder of Getshape.org a health and fitness blog. As a well- versed in fitness, posting blogs about a healthier lifestyle and quick tips to a body fit to help people achieve their body goals is truly my passion.My real concern is, I want you guys to be more confident of yourself.

For more fitness and Health tips, you can check this website!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GetsShape