A great amount of research has been done on the negative implications of screen time on children and adolescents, but even adults are greatly affected and may suffer from certain health problems due to screen addiction.

The following are a few health implications that one should be aware of when it comes to screen addiction:

  1. Restructuring of the brain: This health impact is as complex as it sounds. An increased amount of screen time definitely does affect the grey and white matter which form the brain. Restructuring of the brain generally takes place in hardcore electronic device users, although those who do not use electronic devices very frequently may also be at an increased risk. Excessive screen addiction can lead to shrinkage of the grey matter and can hinder the effective functioning of white matter.
  2. You are more susceptible to diabetes, high BP and obesity: The long hours of sitting in front of the computer or watching videos on your tab can affect the metabolic syndrome of the body, resulting in bad health. In fact, your metabolic syndrome may still be affected even though you partake in a physical activity such as walking or running after hours of sitting still.
  3. You may suffer from eye strain: There is a very common saying that goes ‘too much TV will make your eyes go square’, although this is not true, too much screen time does lead to severe eye problems, the most common of which is eye strain. It can also lead to retinal damage and research shows that use of electronic devices such as phones and tabs at night hinders with sleep too.
  4. Increases mortality rate and risk of cardiovascular disease: Long hours of playing video games or working in front of the laptop does increase the chances of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, a recent study reveals that an unhealthy amount of screen time increased the chances of death to 52%. Even if you do diligent exercise, the damage to your health is more due to excess screen time, whereas exercise reduces mortality risk only up to 4%.

Thus, it is very important that you manage your screen time strictly and continue to live a happy and healthy life.