There is a barrier between us and the outside world which we may not be conscious of. That is the habit of scrolling through our phones at any given time of the day. It’s absolutely acceptable to be sitting and scrolling with our phones glued to our faces almost anywhere we go.

Addiction often forms without us realizing it. Smokers often can’t help lighting a cigarette and in the same way, we can’t help checking our buzzing phones. Many of us find it difficult to focus on work and everyday lives for this reason.

Effects of sitting and scrolling on overall health

Strain

Sitting for long hours in front of a mobile screen can cause dry eyes, eye pain, and headaches. Pain in the neck and upper back is another common complaint. Night time scrolling on mobile phones can disturb our sleep pattern this may be also the reason people do not feel fresh when they get up the next morning.

Nomophobia

Mobile phones make us disconnected from those around us. This makes us antisocial in the real world and can cause anxiety and depression. Children and teenagers with too much exposure to social media and gadgets can grow up with poor communication skills causing them to be Nomophobic (No-mobile-phobia).

Text claw

Text claws are a term used when the fingers and hands are subjected to constant typing, scrolling, gaming causing finger cramping and muscle spams.

Cell phone elbow

Constant holding the phone at the support of your elbow causes tingling, numbness, and pain. The pain can be radiating from your elbow to your fingers.

Phone addiction releases chemicals in the brain which are similar to those in smoking and drug addiction. Not indulging in social media can make you feel left out or depressed. Mental health issues are rising all over the world due to this scrolling habit.

Phantom Pocket vibration syndrome

According to a study at Indiana University, 89% of the students experienced phone vibrations when their phones weren’t actually vibrating. One can imagine the effects of the phone on our brain.

Can Sitting and scrolling on devices cause any dental effects?

Reduced saliva flow

Radiations from mobile phones reduce the amount of saliva in the mouth. When saliva is reduced, the self-cleaning ability of teeth is lost. This can cause decay of teeth and lead to cavities.

Radiations are harmful to salivary glands

According to The International Agency for Research on Cancer, these radiations could cause the formation of cancer cells. Some studies say that mobile radiation causes cancer of the salivary glands. We will know more when further studies are conducted on the matter.

Scrolling your phone while you eat

People who always have been multitasking all their lives and are so busy throughout the day that they end up checking their phones while they eat. While gazing at their screens they often forget to chew their food properly. Some people also keep their food in the mouth for a long time or chew slowly which is not good for your teeth.

People tend to grind their teeth while looking at their screens 

According to some studies, social media to some extent causes stress and anxiety in the minds of the people. This anxiety and stress can increase over a period of time. People tend to grind their teeth while thinking or concentrating on their screens. Grinding your teeth can cause severe sensitivity and a reduction in the height of the teeth.

How can you help yourselves away from sitting and scrolling

In today’s world, it’s not really possible to completely be away from your phone. However small steps to be safe from all these effects can definitely help you.

1. Commit to checking your phone during fixed hours.

2. Shut down the vibration function off. This will help you to reduce the constant need of checking your phone.

3. Try to hold the phone up in line with your eyes.

4. Do not slouch your face, back or neck over your phone.

5. Keep blinking your eyes to prevent them from drying.

6. Wear eye protection glasses while gazing at your phone or laptop screens.

7. Do finger exercises every hour to relieve the stiffness and strain on your fingers.

On the other hand, the benefits of social media and the internet cannot be ignored. As a patient, one has access to a huge degree of information. Today, you can find just about anything you need online. Tele-dentistry is blooming only because of the internet.

The Internet is no less than a two-sided sword. Along with its great benefits, it has incurable and long-lasting side effects. Make proper use of this technology and lead a healthy and happy life!