Benefits of un-plugging in an increasingly mobile world
Amid the stress of impending midterms, it can be easy to forget to take time off from studying to care for your mental and physical health. As the thick of midterm season approaches, instead of taking time off, consider giving yourself more time in your day by turning off your phone.
While statistics for phone use vary, one study conducted by Nottingham Trent University found that the average person uses their device for five hours a day, usually in short bursts of use, and checks their phone about 85 times a day.
Not only do phones waste a lot of our time, but they can also detract from our physical health, mental health, and even academic performance.
There’s a wealth of research that demonstrates how screen usage affects the body’s natural melatonin production, the hormone that controls your body’s sleep and wake cycles. As well, using your phone before bed makes your brain more active—right before you try and fall asleep.
Increased screen time has also been linked with higher rates of obesity and lower rates of physical activity. Another study conducted by Kent State University found that increased cell phone usage correlated to both higher anxiety levels and lower grades.
Turning off your phone, on the other hand, comes with a whole host of associated benefits.
Researchers at the University of Maryland believe that turning your phone on silent can make you more socially conscious of your surroundings. Instead of looking down at your phone, looking up and around can help you to be more engaged with your surrounding environment. It also makes you more open and approachable, rather than the closed-off impression that often comes with being engrossed in your phone.
No matter what we university students like to believe, while trying to kid ourselves that we can do everything, many scientific studies have shown that the brain can’t really multitask. What seems like multitasking is really the brain flicking rapidly from task to task, and while this is stimulating, it actually decreases production.It also makes it difficult to fully pay attention to any one thing, for example, the professor lecturing at the front of the class.
Putting your phone away also shows respect for the people you’re with. Your professor will know that you’re listening and your friends will know that they have your full attention instead of being distracted every couple seconds by your phone.
Getting away from the distractions of your phone also gives you freedom. Instead of constantly checking it and worrying about not replying to someone, take some time to relax. Chances are, unless it’s an actual emergency, whatever’s on your phone doesn’t require an immediate response.
The time you gain from turning off your phone can be used for more productive or beneficial activities. Take the time to study, work, or do something good for your health, like meditation, sports, or anything that relaxes you.
Turning your phone off can also be good for your phone. Constantly keeping your phone on, and never letting it turn off, can damage your phone’s battery life.While most Canadians thrive in cold weather, phones don’t. Batteries suffer reduced effectiveness in cold temperatures and glass screens become more prone to chips and cracks.
Even considering all the disadvantages to high phone use and the benefits to low usage, turning off your phone can be a scary idea, but you can start small. Try turning off your phone for short periods of time, or try going one full day without it. When in class, hanging out with friends, or at work, put your phone in your bag and leave it there. Try using an actual alarm clock instead of relying on your phone so that you’re less tempted to look at your phone right before you go to sleep.
Smartphones and connectivity can be a wonderful thing, but as the saying goes, “Everything in moderation.” Try cutting back on your phone usage for a while and you may just see a rise in your physical health, mental health, and maybe even your grades.
Photo by Mariah Bridgeman/The Ontarion.