We’re now dependent on our smartphones but that doesn’t mean we can’t act and improve our brain health.
Your smartphone could fry your brain. Not literally but the effect is quite similar as explained by a neuroscientist.
Dr. Wendy Suzuki, a neuroscientist and professor at the New York University Center for Neural Science, revealed the increasing negative impact of overusing your smartphone.
In a podcast, Dr. Suzuki pointed out that the brain can rewire itself as a user becomes dependent on their phone. This increasing dependence is determined by their extended digital screen time, which increases risk of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.
The same pattern also decreases the user’s human connections. Since humans are social beings, the lack of human connections, particularly physical ones, may negatively affect brain health.
Over the years, the use of social media for extended periods has been linked to mental health problems. Even reels or shorts have been associated with decreased attention span.
So, what can you do to stop your phone from frying your brain? Here are some simple preventive measures without removing your smartphone from your life:
- Take a 10-minute break by walking to reduce anxiety and depression levels.
- Detox yourself by cutting down your frequency of checking your phone.
- Meditate so you can put your mind into the present and promote relaxation and mental peace.
- Breathe consciously to help your mind and body relax and reduce stress levels.
- Have face-to-face interactions with another person to improve human connection.
- Reframe anxiety and depression by turning negative thoughts into helpful ones.
Have you tried any of these steps before?
