The advancements in computer and internet technologies have made life highly sophisticated and convenient for people worldwide. People can obtain information on any topic, play games online, watch entertaining videos, and buy groceries and other products online whenever they want. 

It would not be an overstatement if we say that the advancements made in computer and internet technologies have made the world a fairer place to live in. While the advancements made in computer and internet technologies are highly beneficial to mankind in many ways, they also have certain drawbacks. 

In this article, we’re going to explore the health hazards of spending long hours in front of a computer screen and how to balance screen time and face time. So, kindly read on to find out. 

Health Hazards of Spending Too Much Screen Time

While computers are required especially by office-going professionals to complete various official tasks, spending too much time in front of a computer can have quite a few adverse health effects. They are as follows. 

It will weaken your eyesight

Spending too much time in front of a computer screen will make one’s eyes dry and damage one’s retina, leading to blurred vision (short or long eyesight). Spending too much time sitting in a hunched posture will also make one’s shoulders and back stiff over time.

It can cause Insomnia

The blue rays emitted by digital devices such as desktops, laptops, smartphones, projectors, etcetera lowers the production of the sleep hormone, Melatonin by one’s brain. This is why many people find it hard to fall asleep right after browsing the internet or doing some work on a computer. 

The body’s repair hormones are produced when one sleeps and sleep deprivation can cause eyesight weakening, extreme fatigue, internal damage to various body parts, weakening of one’s immune system, and aggravation of impatience and irritability in a person. Roughly 10% of the world’s population suffers from acute insomnia! 

Increases the risk of obesity

If you spend long hours in front of a computer every day, it implies that you hardly do any exercise every day. This practice if left unchecked will make you fatter over time until you become obese, especially if you’re a person who eats a lot. 

The glucose that is derived from various foods will be converted into fat by your body if it is not burnt by doing exercise. Obesity also increases the risk of incurring other diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms also known as arrhythmias, etc. 

Retarded cognitive capacity

Spending too much time in front of a computer screen alters the very structure of your brain significantly. It will reduce the amount of gray matter produced by your brain which is responsible for a person’s cognitive ability or IQ. 

Spending too much time in front of a computer screen will also weaken the nerve impulses that pass between brain cells and neurons. This will lead to a person giving a slower reaction to any stimuli (question or event) and may aggravate nervous weakness in a person. 

Impaired socializing skills 

Even though there are a ton of social networking sites on the internet, browsing them is a solitary activity and it will impair a person’s socializing skills if overdone. Moreover, people are radically different in real life than they pose themselves on social media. 

So interacting with people only via social media platforms can create a false impression of the world or one’s society in one’s mind which could lead to the person being exploited or deceived later on in life.

Screen time vs face time

Now that you know spending long hours in front of a computer screen causes quite a few adverse health hazards, you might be thinking of ways to cut it short and spend more time with your family, friends, or on personal development. Following are the activities that you can do every day to reduce screen time and thereby prevent its adverse health hazards.  

Take at least two hours of break every day

This is especially feasible if you work from home. Apart from the approximately one hour of break that you take for meals and beverages, you can also allot about an hour every day to mingle with your friends and family. This practice will enable you to get to know them better and deepen your ties with them. It will also reduce the strain on your eyes and improve your socializing skills.

Go for a long walk

If you live in an apartment that is huge and has many blocks and parks, you can go for a nice long walk around its compound or spend some time playing or exercising in the parks. This will exercise your muscles and make them strong, it will also burn your excess calories and make you slim and fit. You will get to experience the magic of fresh air on your body and will feel rejuvenated if you go for walks or exercise in parks for at least 30 minutes every day.    

Play with your pets

If you have pets, especially a dog or a cat, it is highly recommended that you play with them some interesting games or activities every day. Dogs and cats are more attached to masters who play with them every day. Playing fun activities with your dog or cat every day will also let you have some fun and release the hormone, echinodermorphine which will do your body a world of good.

Read a novel or solve a puzzle 

Reading interesting novels for about an hour every day will enhance your vocabulary and inform you about many things. This activity if done regularly will sharpen your focus over time and help you think about creative solutions to problems even when under pressure. 

Similarly solving crosswords or other kinds of puzzles every day will enhance your vocabulary and cognitive ability. It will also take your mind off your problems in life and divert your attention to something more creative.

Explore landmark areas in your city or town

It is quite an embarrassing fact that quite a few people still don’t know all the important landmarks in their city despite living there for around a decade. You only get one lifetime to explore your neighborhood and you must make the maximum use of it. 

Once you start exploring the landmark localities and buildings in your city, you’ll be amazed at how many creative and fun landmark places there are and how little you have explored in all the time you have lived in your city. 

Our Take

The invention and development of the computer and internet technologies are without a shred of doubt a great boon to mankind as they have made life sophisticated and convenient for people but spending too much time in front of a computer screen can have quite a few adverse health hazards which are hard to recover from.

One must know how to balance screen time and face time to live a healthy life. Kindly practice all the side activities mentioned in this article to reduce your screen time every day and in due course of time, your mental and physical health will improve tangibly. 

Once you incur severe ailments like obesity, weakened eyesight, type 2 diabetes, etcetera by spending too much screen time, it’ll take you quite a few years to recover from them. So, take good care of your health and food habits to lead a healthy life.

FAQs

• What adverse effects does too much screen time have on children?

Too much screen time every day adversely impairs children’s socializing skills, cognitive capacity, eyesight, sleep, and long focus. 

• What are the top 3 fun games that dogs and cats love to play?

Dogs love to play fetch, tug of war, and treat treasure hunt the most while cats love to play flirt pole, touching balls inside fun mazes, and with ping pong balls the most. Playing with your pets will deepen your bond with them and also enable you to have some much-needed fun in life. 

• Which is the most popular outdoor activity in the UK that can strengthen one’s arms, legs, and back all at once?

Cricket is the most popular outdoor activity in the UK that can strengthen one’s arms, legs, and back all at once.

• What are the four main benefits of exercising or playing outdoor games?

Exercising or playing outdoor games such as cricket, football, etcetera burns one’s excess calories and keeps one slim and fit, it strengthens one’s bones and muscles, sharpens one’s focus, enhances one’s socializing skills, and minimizes the risk of incurring type 2 diabetes.  

• Which outdoor activity is the most popular in the US?

Hiking and rugby are the most popular outdoor activities in the US. They strengthen one’s bones and muscles, especially around the arms and legs a lot. 

• Who owns the most number of cats in the world?

A lady by the name, of Lynea Lattanzio owns the most number of cats in the world. She owns 1,100 cats and has even built a sanctuary to house them. 

• Who owned the most number of dogs in the world?

A Mongol emperor named Kubla Khan owns the most number of dogs in the world. He owned 5,000 mastiffs. 

• Who owns the largest cat in the world?

A Russian lady named Yulia Minina from Russia owns a cat deemed the world’s biggest. It is a Maine Coon named Kefir.

• Who owns the largest dog in the world?

A lady named Kevin Doorlag owns the largest dog by height in the world. The dog’s name is Zeus. He is 7 feet and 4 inches tall and is a Great Dane. Despite his formidable appearance, Zeus worked as a therapy dog in many hospitals.

•  Are there more dog lovers or cat lovers in the world?

Among a group of 100 people surveyed in the US, 74% said they are pure dog lovers while only 12% said they are pure cat lovers. The remaining 14% said that they love both dogs and cats.