Cell phones have become an essential part of our daily lives, but they can lead to body aches and pains if we're not careful. From neck pain to eye strain and even stress, too much screen time can negatively affect your health. The good news is that you can enjoy your phone without the pain with a few simple changes. Here’s how to avoid common problems caused by excessive cell phone use.
Text Neck
One of the most significant issues people face with cell phone use is “text neck.” This condition happens when you’re looking down at your phone for long periods, putting strain on your neck and shoulders. The longer you spend on your phone, the more critical it becomes to pay attention to your posture.
To prevent text neck, try holding your phone at eye level instead of looking down. This helps keep your neck in a more neutral position, which reduces strain. It’s also a good idea to take breaks every 20 minutes. Stand up, stretch, and reset your posture.
Eye Strain
Staring at your phone screen for long periods, especially in the evening, can lead to eye strain. The blue light from your screen can disrupt your sleep patterns and tire your eyes.
To help your eyes, try putting your phone down at least 30 minutes before bed. This gives your eyes time to relax and enables you to sleep better. If you need to use your phone at night, consider using the night mode feature, which reduces the blue light emitted by your screen.
Ear Damage
Listening to music or talking on the phone with high volume levels can damage your hearing over time. The closer the sound is to your ear, the more harmful it can be.
To avoid this, try using your phone’s speaker when you can instead of holding it directly against your ear. If you must use headphones, make sure the volume is at a safe level. This will protect your hearing and avoid long-term damage.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome can develop from repetitive movements, especially if you use your thumbs to text for long periods.
To reduce your risk, try to minimize thumb use by using the text-to-speech feature on your phone. If you find yourself sending long messages, it’s better to call instead of texting, which can also help avoid overworking your hands. Accessories like pop-sockets or grips can make holding your phone easier and less stressful on your thumbs. Don’t forget to switch hands often to give both hands a break.
Conclusion
Your phone doesn’t have to be a source of pain and stress. With just a few changes to your habits, you can avoid common issues like neck pain, eye strain, and hand discomfort while still enjoying the benefits of technology. If you’re already experiencing any of these problems, chiropractic care can help you find relief and get back to feeling great. Don’t wait—schedule an appointment today!
Tips for Reducing Cell Phone Usage
Change Notification Settings
Cut out the noise by changing the default settings. Go into the notification settings on all your devices—smartphones, tablets, desktops, and laptops—and turn off everything you see as nonessential. For instance, disable the notification dots that appear next to your app icons and beg you to check them. Or change settings for individual apps to customize what events on Facebook warrant a ping, for example.
Eliminate Distractions
Apple iPhone users have a feature called Focus Mode, which is essentially a revamped version of Do Not Disturb that allows you to disable certain functionality at specific times of the day. Android has its own Focus Mode under Settings > Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls, where you can set up a schedule for when distracting apps will be unavailable to use.
Manage Your Screen Time
For iPhone users, Screen Time tracks your app usage and lets you put limits on certain types of apps. A feature called downtime can also help avoid phone usage by locking certain apps and phone features at a scheduled time of day. On Android, the Digital Wellbeing app displays a dashboard breaking down app usage, how often you unlock your phone, and how many notifications you receive. For those with Galaxy devices, Samsung offers its own digital wellbeing feature.
Set Up Healthy Sleep Patterns
The best way to start having a healthy relationship with your phone is to practice healthy habits at bedtime. That means not keeping your phone within reach at night and using a physical alarm clock. Your phone should charge further away from your bed or ideally be left in another room entirely so as not to tempt you into picking it up in the middle of the night.
Set Social Boundaries
One key thing missing from the way many of us use technology is etiquette. When is it appropriate to have your smartphone out and when is it considered rude? If you’re having a face-to-face conversation with someone, resisting the urge to pull out a device is the first step toward cutting out an unhealthy or rude behavior. One good rule is not to have devices on the table during meals, whether that’s in a restaurant or at home. Especially if there are kids at the table who don’t have their own devices yet, it’s a bad precedent to set if you’re scrolling through Instagram in one hand, eating with the other, and barely pretending to listen to the conversation.
Comentários