Mental health decline because of smartphones in 18-24 year olds?

According to the report, before the advent of the Internet, by the time a person turned 18, they would have spent between 15,000 and 25,000 hours interacting with family and peers. But with the Internet, the time is reduced to 1,500 to 5,000 hours.

Tara Thiagarajan, an expert at Sapien Labs, says the drop in social interaction prevents people from learning important skills like reading facial expressions, body language, appropriate emotional responses and conflict resolution. sudden. She notes that people who lack these skills may feel socially isolated and want to commit suicide.

The report collects data from 34 countries, where 18 to 24 year olds showed signs of declining mental health before the outbreak. The decline that began after 2010, coincided with an increase in smartphone usage. Before 2010, young people had the highest levels of mental health. From then on, the trend reverses.

If you know someone who uses their smartphone excessively, look for one of the following symptoms: strange, obsessive thoughts; sense of detachment from reality; thoughts about suicide; anxiety, fear; feelings of sadness, pain, and despair.

Data shows that people use smartphones for 7 to 10 hours a day, leaving little time for social engagement. This highlights the importance and nature of the challenges of social isolation and digital interaction for face-to-face interactions between people.

If you feel like you have to manage your smartphone time even more, you can use the Screen Time feature on iOS or Digital Wellbeing on Android. Specifically, on iPhone, go to Settings> Screen Time> Turn On Screen Time> Continue> This is My device or This is my child’s device. On Android, the new Digital Wellbeing is experimental and hidden from the list of apps, even when installed. To access it, go to Settings > Digital Wellbeing & parental controls > Show icon in the app list.

Both programs aim to reduce your screen time, reduce the number of notifications you receive each day, and create a time in the evening to limit your phone use and get a better night’s sleep. They also help you control your child’s cell phone behavior.

Du Lam (According to PhoneArena)