Gone are the days when we need to be scared of attacks form savage animals, we do not need to fear extreme weather conditions and the majority of plagues that have afflicted humans have been wiped out. But in place of these, and thanks to modern technology, have developed First World Problems. Maybe we have just become a little pampered and wimpy, but the majority f modern complaints received by doctors are for minor ailments caused by obsessive use of technology. Have a look;
A study conducted by the UK Post Office revealed that nearly 53% mobile addicts in Britain expressed great anxiety as they became dependent on their phones. Nearly 17% of women are affected with Nomophobia. Nearly 77% teenagers are not able to leave their phones even for a short duration.
Phantom Vibration Syndrome
So addicted are we to our phone, that we cannot shut off completely anymore. The average person looks at their phone an average of 150 times a day to check for any message or updates. As a result, we are now hearing message tones and ringtones, and feeling vibrations that do not exist. This has impaired peoples ability to sleep, and this disrupted sleep has opened up a range of other problems. Bright lights from the phone disrupt production of melatonin that is a sleep-inducing hormone. A phone addict feels that his phone is vibrating or ringing when in actuality it is silent. Nearly 68% are affected by this syndrome and nearly 13% feel the vibrations daily while 87% feel it weekly.
Cybersickness
Constant use of the three dimensional features of iPads and iPhones give rise to side effects. This is a result of an imbalance in movements perceived in the eyes. This type of Cybersickness is associated mainly with Apple iOS 7. It is the modern day equivalent of motion sickness!
Text Claw
Technology has moulded our hands into unusual postures these days, leading to a condition known as “text claw”. Nearly 43% of smart phone users have complained of this problem for the last 5 years Which involves cramps tenderness of the forearms, wrists and fingers from playing games or excessive typing. People use their wrist joints and thumbs in abnormal positions and repetitive motor activity gives rise to Text Claws which in turn causes inflammation of tendons.
iPosture
Another problem that has only appeared in western society in recent times, again, thanks to technology. Basically, we are all suffering from back and neck ache as a result of being too focused on our screens too much. People spend too long hunching or slumping over their computers or phones leading to Excess pressure on the spine when the head tilts forward for prolonged hours. Moral of the story, put down the phone and get some exercise!
Screen Sightedness
David Allamby, a prominent eye surgeon and founder of Focus Clinics is of the opinion that the number of teenagers experiencing this condition will increase by another 50% in the coming years. The genes controlling myopia continues to develop when people reach their 40s though it should have stabilized when people reached their 20s. So if you love to spend a big part of your day before the computer or TV screens, be aware that you are at high risk to damage permanently your sight.
Dry Eye Syndrome
Experts proved that when a person is concentrating on a screen, the rate of his blinking reduces by 30%. If a person spends a long time without blinking in front of a screen, they suffer from this syndrome. Tear evaporation takes place which may lead to eye damage over a period of time.
