Negative Effect Of Smartphone On Your Health

Smartphone addiction has been linked to lazy thinking by a new psychology study.

Smarter people tend to use the search function on their smartphones less often, the research has found.

Intuitive thinkers, though, who tend to be less intelligent, are more prone to searching for information on smartphones.

Here is a list of side effects of your smartphone addiction that are a lot more serious than you think and could have long-lasting consequences:

1.   Text Claw
Although it is not a medical term, text claw describes all of the finger cramping and sore hand muscles that come from continuous scrolling, texting, and gaming on smartphones. Doctors believe that the constant use of smartphones can cause inflammation in tendons, and possibly lead to tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

2.   Nomophobia
Short for "no-mobile-phone phobia," this is exactly what it sounds like: the fear of being without your cell. According to a study of 1,000 people in the U.K., 66% of the population fears losing or being without their phones at any given time. Some of the symptoms of nomophobia include anxiety or negative physical symptoms if you have lost or cannot use your cell phone, obsessively checking to make sure you have your phone with you, and constantly worrying about losing it somewhere. Interestingly, the study found that women suffer from this more than men.

If this sounds like you, experts suggest employing common anxiety-relieving relaxation techniques like yoga and deep breathing.

3.   iPosture
How often do you see people obsessively slouching over their phones for hours at a time? Slouching strains the neck and back muscles. According to a Simplyhealth study of young adults that was conducted in the United Kingdom, 84% experienced back or neck pain in 2013. This is likely the result of being hunched over modern technological devices.

4.   Phantom Pocket Vibration Syndrome
No, you didn't just get a text message! A professor at Indiana University found that 89% of the undergraduates in her study experienced phantom vibrations when their phones weren't actually vibrating. The study also found that students who were dependent on text messages and social media updates were more anxious when their phones weren't really vibrating.

A good way to break the addiction? Try shutting your vibration function off and commit to only checking your phone during designated hours. If you have to keep your phone with you, place it in your bag instead. And try to resist checking your bag every five minutes. Otherwise, you might become the first case of Phantom Bag Vibration Syndrome.

5.   Computer Vision Syndrome
Did you think that staring at that small screen for hours would actually help your eyes? Squinting to see the miniscule font in your texts as you read through the latest Facebook updates leads to eyestrain, blurred vision, dizziness, and dry eyes. When combined with the back pain caused by iPosture, the negative consequences can be headaches and even migraines.