About this video

• Video Title: How Is Your Phone Changing You?
• Channel: AsapSCIENCE
• Speakers: Mitchell Moffit, Gregory Brown
• Duration: 00:03:12

Overview

This video explores the significant physical and cognitive impacts of widespread smartphone use. It discusses how prolonged phone usage affects posture, eyesight, brain function, sleep patterns, and even our social interactions, while also acknowledging the benefits of smartphones in accessing information.

Key takeaways

• Physical Strain: Looking down at a phone for extended periods (an average of 4.7 hours daily) can strain the spine, with the angle equivalent to an 8-year-old sitting on the neck.
• Increased Myopia: Combined screen time has led to a rise in nearsightedness, with nearly half the North American population affected, and significantly higher rates in parts of Asia.
• Addictive Design: Apps utilize "compulsion loops," similar to those found in gambling and drug addiction, by providing frequent small rewards and novelty (dopamine bursts) to keep users engaged.
• Nomophobia: This widespread use has led to "nomophobia," the fear or anxiety of being without a phone, with 93% of young adults using smartphones to avoid boredom.
• Brain Wave Alteration: Phone transmissions can boost alpha brain waves, associated with relaxation, potentially altering cognitive function.
• Sleep Disruption: The blue light emitted from screens disrupts circadian rhythms, reducing deep sleep and melatonin production, which is linked to health issues like diabetes, cancer, and obesity.
• Information Access: Smartphones are crucial for information access, especially for lower-income populations, with 7% of Americans solely relying on them for internet access.
• "Smartphone Vacations": Successful individuals are increasingly taking breaks from smartphones to boost productivity, with further information available in a related video.

Smartphones are driving changes in society by altering physical health, cognitive functions, and social behaviors. Physically, they contribute to poor posture and increased rates of myopia. Cognitively, their design leverages "compulsion loops" that can lead to addiction-like behaviors and a fear of being without the device (nomophobia). This also impacts brain patterns by altering alpha wave activity. Socially, smartphones are used by a majority of young adults to combat boredom, shifting focus away from other activities. Furthermore, they have become essential tools for accessing information, particularly for certain demographics. The widespread use also disrupts sleep patterns due to blue light emission.