The biggest danger hidden in the pocket: How the smartphone is spoiling sleep, brain, gut and overall health.
Today’s health report of India is quite worrying. Somewhere there is the grip of sugar, somewhere there is pressure of BP, somewhere there is heart tension, somewhere there is fear of thyroid, arthritis and stroke and the biggest thing is that the disease is now attacking not on the basis of age but on the basis of lifestyle. About 10 years ago, cardiovascular diseases were being reported in 16-17% of the people. It will increase to above 25% in 2025. Metabolic and endocrine problems i.e. problems like diabetes, thyroid, obesity have increased from 15% to more than 24%.
The infection rate is decreasing in the country, but lifestyle diseases are increasing rapidly and after the age of 40, this danger becomes more visible. But the question is who is spoiling the lifestyle? The answer to this is this smartphone in our pocket! According to a report, in 2024, Indians together will spend 1.1 trillion i.e. “one lakh ten thousand crore hours” watching screens. Meaning, on an average every person spends 5 hours on the phone every day and about 70% of that time is wasted on social media, gaming and short videos.
Due to which people’s sleep, brain, gut health and hormonal system are deteriorating rapidly. At night, the blue light of the screen activates markers that increase inflammation inside the body. And poor sleep. Constant scrolling over-stimulates the brain, notifications deplete dopamine. As a result, gradually the brain requires more stimulation even for small pleasures.
The matter does not end here, smartphone addiction also spoils the ‘gut microbiome’. Gut is bad, serotonin is affected, mood is down, stress level is high. Imagine that the phone starts a cycle in which sleep, stomach and mind all three get trapped. So today the question is not about leaving the phone, but about controlling screen time. So that the body can be brought back into the right rhythm. Because smartphone is a tool, not a lifeline. If screen time remains unchecked, age will start appearing not only on the face, but also on the heart, mind, gut and entire body.
Disadvantages of excessive smartphone use
1. Effect on sleep
Blue light emitted from smartphones disturbs sleep the most. Blue light signals our brain that it is daytime. This stops the production of melatonin. Using the phone till late night disturbs the internal biological clock of our body, due to which we cannot get deep sleep.
2. Effect on the brain
Smartphones have the biggest impact on the brain. Social media notifications and ‘likes’ release dopamine in the brain. It acts like an addiction, causing lack of concentration and increasing restlessness.
3. Gut Health / Digestive System
It may seem surprising, but there is a deep connection between the phone and the stomach. By looking at the phone while eating, we do not chew the food properly and eat more than required, which leads to indigestion and weight gain. Stress and anxiety directly affect our gut microbiome, which can lead to problems like gas and bloating.
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