Smartphone addiction: How does the cell phone affect the brain?

In a world where people depend on technology, smartphone addiction can occur. From business email to cashless payments, it’s getting easier and easier to get addicted to a digital device. While some think it’s just a mental problem, a new study suggests that this constant use affects your brain just as physically as does drug addiction.

Develop smartphone addiction

Regions in the brain that scientists call gray matter have shown changes in size and shape for people with social media addiction, according to a study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. The gray matter controls a person’s emotions, speech, sight, hearing, memory, and self-control accordingly. Other studies have looked at similar brain changes due to drug use.

Given their widespread use and increasing popularity, the present study questions the safety of smartphone addiction. This applies at least to people who are at an increased risk of developing addictive behavior in connection with the use of such digital technologies. This is what the study by researchers at Heidelberg University in Germany says.

In the United States, over 24% of children ages 8 to 12 and 67% of their teenage colleagues have their own smartphones. Younger teenagers spend an average of six hours a day in entertainment media. According to a survey, the average American spends around four hours a day on their smartphone.

Analysis of the literature published since 2011, when smartphones first became popular, found that 10 to 30% of children and adolescents used their smartphones in a dysfunctional manner. This means that an average of 23% showed a problematic smartphone addiction. However, companies and giants like Apple and Android have features that users can use to manage their screen time. However, other apps like Moment and Freedom smartphone junkies help block access to certain apps and websites.

The researchers examined in the study also the connections between this type of smartphone use and mental health. They found a consistent association between cell phones and poor mental health measurements. This is especially true with regard to depressive moods, anxiety, stress, poor sleep quality and educational level.