Originally published in the Inchture Area Newsletter, FHT Member Becky Gunn considers the effects of technology on our health and how we can take back control
Are you experiencing anxiety, depression, memory issues, or sleep problems? Could your mobile phone be causing your health to suffer? Read on to find out. If you can print and read this article somewhere quiet, away from your phone, that would be a great start!
The average daily time people spend on screens worldwide is 6 hours 40 minutes. That’s 34 years over a lifetime! Teenagers average just over 8 hours of screentime a day, while younger children spend about 6 hours. Research shows that about half the population check their smartphone 144 times in 24 hours.
It is just over 40 years since the first commercially available mobile phone was introduced. Today, our new pocket best friend has become an essential item, keeping us connected, entertained, organised and fulfilled with goods and services at the touch of a button. The big question is:
Are YOU in control of IT, or is IT in control of YOU?
In many ways the tech revolution has changed our lives for the better, but striking a balance between living in the moment or on a screen is becoming more challenging. As tech companies tap into our psyche to draw us into this ever advancing highly lucrative market, our brains become awash with information and creativity is stifled. Research suggests that too much screen-time early on in life may have a negative effect on the formation and strengthening of the brain’s crucial 86 billion neuron connections. 90% of these form by the time we are 5 years old. It is therefore important that young children develop their brain through a variety of real-life experiences with two-way interactions. Doing everyday household tasks with a parent/career will build a catalogue of life skills, the rewards of which will grow their confidence and resilience. Children need to be able to use ALL their senses to read and understand human emotions. This is how they learn to control the ‘I want it now’ impulse, that helps curb frustrations.
The advance of technology, including video games, has launched an insatiable appetite for instant gratification, a key driver for addiction. Results of a study published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction suggests that excessive screen time causes thinning of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for processing memory and cognitive functions. As gaming rewards come thick and fast, it fuels spikes in the ‘I feel-great’ dopamine neurotransmitter, one of the key chemicals that transmits signals between the brain’s nerve cells.
Although common sense tells us that life isn’t a one-way ticket to eternal happiness, the ‘high’ created with a screen time fix can become addictive. Successive addictive rewards flood the brain’s reward pathway 10 times more than a natural reward, driving up aggressive behaviour and the inability to control impulsive actions. These compulsive pleasure rewards deplete the levels of dopamine, prompting a drop in mood that makes us feel sad and even depressed. Low levels of dopamine trigger the release of the backup energy steroid cortisol, allowing the brain and body to continue to function.
Cortisol forces the metabolism to slow which can result in weight gain and digestive problems. It can also shorten our attention span and disrupt sleep. When cortisol is released, the fight or flight hormone adrenaline is boosted, heightening anxiety. Together these suppress dopamine, creating the perfect storm for mood swings, brain fog (including confusion, forgetfulness and lack of focus) and other cognitive functional imbalances. Unfortunately, we feel compelled to perpetuate this cycle, turning back to technology for a quick fix, or to fill in the cognitive gaps! Knock-on effects of this addictive behaviour include chronic pain and motivational issues.
One of our primary instincts is to be liked. In our quest to meet this need, we turn to social media to seek the approval of others in apparent safety behind the screens of our home-editing suite. The more ‘likes’ we get, the more self-assured we feel. Editing out the flaws that make us human and putting ourselves on an ever-higher pedestal of perfection can lead to a sharp fall in morale when things go wrong. It’s easy to stay positive when we are riding high, but when we hit a low, maybe as a result of a criticism or hurtful remark that is written, it can knock our confidence. The answer? Don’t put anything online that you wouldn’t want the world to see!
In 2008, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) was ranked 3rd as a leading cause of disability, disease burden and suicide worldwide. By 2030, the WHO predicts that it will rank 1st! Research suggests that obsessive screen-time behaviour causes imbalances in 3 of the body’s key neurotransmitters (dopamine – joy, norepinephrine – fear/anger, and serotonins – disgust/sadness), leading to poor mental health and low self-esteem.
Too much time spent in a static flexed posture doesn’t do our body any favours either. Hours spent sitting, leaning forward and looking down, creates muscle imbalances. A sustained flexed posture more than doubles the weight of the head on the spine. As the muscles at the front of our body shorten and tighten, the ones at the back become over-stretched and weak. Standing up and walking becomes more challenging as tight hip flexors draw our lower back forward, tilting our pelvis down and shortening our stride. Concentrating for long periods at a time uses up more energy, reducing blood to our extremities and leaving our hands and feet feeling colder. As our brain demands more oxygen, carbon dioxide is temporarily reduced leading to a feeling of anxiety. All in all, sitting immersed on a screen for longer than 20 minutes at a time, isn’t good for any of us.
How to take back control of your mobile phone to improve your health:
- Talk to someone – if you think you are addicted to your phone, get help. Your doctor can advise you of specialist strategies. Speak with someone in your family or a friend. They might be feeling the same as you.
- Tech-free spaces – leave your phone out of your bedroom. Put it away during meetings and at mealtimes so you can engage in face-to-face conversation and focus without interruption.
- Set boundaries – resist looking at your phone for the first 15 minutes when waking up. Create mental calm during the day when you completely break from your phone. Don’t use it when you exercise and instead tune into your surroundings. Turn off alerts and resist messaging on demand. Turn it off an hour before bed.
- Be in tune with your 5 senses – spend 30 seconds of focused activity on looking, listening, touching, tasting or smelling something.
- 20-20-20 Rule – look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes that you spend looking at a screen.
- Improve your memory – At the beginning of each day, note the day, date and weather. When travelling, take in the scenery and landmarks along the route. Focus on the people you are travelling or meeting with or simply observe those around you. Concentrate on what they are saying and their expressions. Memorise phone numbers.
- Practice diaphragmatic breathing – calm feelings of anxiety. Lie down, put one hand on your chest and keep it still while you take a deep breath using your diaphragm. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 4 and breathe out through pursed lips for 4.
- Hands-on skills – knitting, painting, doing a jigsaw puzzle or playing a musical instrument.
- Read and write – find a good book to read. Write a journal, a thank you letter or send a card to someone special.
- Bedtime routine – try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. 7- 9 hours’ sleep a night is recommended.
- Practice deep focus – like the Pomodoro Technique, a time management method that promotes focus and productivity by breaking work into 25-minute intervals which are separated by short breaks to improve attention.
- Reduce multi-tasking – concentrate on one thing at a time.
Official guidance recommends zero screen time for babies up to 2 years old, an enjoyable hour of shared screen time experience with an adult for young children, and a maximum of 2 hours in addition to homework for teenagers. Disciplining ourselves to break away from immersive screens is tough, but the rewards of taking regular breaks will pay dividends. Our brain, body and emotions need the real deal, not a virtual world, to keep us calm, focused and well.
In 1995, Becky Gunn qualified in anatomy, physiology and massage at Fredique, The Original French Beauty School, Hong Kong. Eve Taylor helped her find this school, as she was keen to learn aromatherapy as well. She studied Reflexology in Taiwan in 1997, Reiki (1&2 degree), and Thai Traditional Massage (Wat Po Traditional Medical School) in Thailand in 1999. Then, she gained a Clinical Aromatherapy diploma (with Traditional Chinese Medicine) at the Raworth Centre, Dorking, Surrey in 2001. A Sports & Remedial massage diploma followed in 2010 at Scottish Massage Schools. The latest diploma she has received is the John Gibbons Bodymaster Method that she completed in 2024. She has taken many health courses in between and has run her own clinic, Health In Hand in Perthshire, Scotland for the past 20 years.
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