Health impacts of too much screen time

Smart devices are excellent tools you can use to connect to your GP, to your Bankmed membership, and can even assist you to monitor and improve your wellness. However, too much screen time can be harmful to your health.

Our reliance on smart devices can have several negative effects. It can affect your eyesight, your sleep (which then impacts every aspect of your daily life), and even our relationships with each other.

Reasons to limit screen time

Here are some good reasons to step away from your smart device:

  • Reduce stress
    Being constantly connected can impact your concentration and cause stress. Set times aside when you do not check your phone and take time for yourself.
  • Experience moments instead of recording them
    Cellphone cameras lead to the temptation of taking a photo of everything we do. The time and concentration of taking a photo can sometimes mean that you miss important moments. Sometimes taking a selfie can be dangerous if you don’t pay attention to your surroundings.
  • Improve memory and cognition
    Your brain needs exercise to keep sharp. While it might have become second nature to use GPS navigation or your phone’s calculator, reading a map and planning a route, and doing calculations are critical analytical skills that improve memory and brain function.
  • Develop your social skills
    You have to practice the skills to be good at them. While cellphones have their place in communication, relying on them too much can mean that your ability to read non-verbal clues and the ability to have a face-to-face conversation decreases.
Five ways to decrease the time you spend on your phone
  1. Remove unnecessary push notifications.
  2. Mute WhatsApp group notifications.
  3. Remove unnecessary and distracting apps from your device.
  4. Use the “Do Not Disturb” function (you can set exceptions).
  5. Ban phones from mealtimes.
Better sleep and better waking

Checking your smart device while you are in bed and looking at the screen first thing in the morning impacts how well you sleep. In turn, this affects how productive you are in the day.

Try limit screen time before and after sleep. You could set rules for yourself such as no phones one hour before bed, and 30 minutes after waking. It is surprising how quickly your sleep, productivity, and mood improves.