Hang up on smartphone addiction

Their comments follow a recent study suggesting touchscreen smartphone use increases the reaction, coordination and sensitivity between the fingers and thumbs and the brain.

It added that the part of the brain that controls the thumbs — the somatosensory cortex — also grows bigger in smartphone users.

Specialists have said that shape and size alterations to the cortex can cause pain and movement disorders.

They made the their remarks on the study recently in the Current Biology journal.

The study was authored by Arko Ghosh from the Institute of Neuroinformatics of the University of Zurich in Switzerland.

Dubai sociologist Dr Rima Sabban said smart devices, social media and apps are opening “new forms of interactions” that can pose challenges if left unchecked and imbalanced.

“It presents a challenge to society and family, to the traditional forms of interaction like sitting together and talking. You still sit together, but if don’t like the conversation – if the new generation is bored with their parents, let’s say – you can take that smartphone and connect somewhere else,” said Sabban, associate sociology professor at Zayed University. “Or when you get a message, it could be something unimportant, but you are compelled to check it because you’re becoming conditioned. Your subconscious starts acting and reacting to this [digital] nature, you can’t stay away from it.”

Sabban said even momentary diversions or disruptions in “pleasant conversations” triggered by smartphone use can impact the quality of the experience.

“You get a spark of an idea, on or from your smartphone, it immediately takes you there. There is less of listening now and more attention to all these [digital] things.”

Social conversations are not the only aspects of life being changed – the constant use of smart devices can be a physical safety risk as well.

Sabban said: “There is less attention paid to physical surroundings. When you are driving, you don’t want to touch that phone, but you’re conditioned to use it because you are constantly responding to it.

“You can’t leave the phone in peace and it won’t leave you in peace.”

She added that in the future one of the most sought after leisure activities could be those “where you go to find space away from the wired world, away from the hyper-connectivity. The leisure of the future would be to find those places where you can disconnect.”

Sabban stressed that ultimately it is the person and not the device which decides the quality of relationships.

“We’re smarter than smartphones. If you decide a relationship is important to you, you can control everything that could get in the way. It’s a choice we make.”

She also pointed out that such technology has in many ways improved relationships, by making it easy and instant to stay in touch with family and friends who are far way.

However, many people are immersing themselves too deep in the world on online social media and gadgets.

Mary John, a clinical psychologist in Dubai, said she has seen children and teens who are depressed because some of their posts in the virtual world are not “liked” by friends or followers.

She has recently done a study on the impact of online activity and time on interpersonal relations, finding that “it does take a toll”.

Introverted people are more likely to be drawn into the digital trappings, the study suggested. “There were two friends, both in Dubai, who would only ‘meet’ in Skype. They found comfort within their four walls rather than face to face,” she added.

However, extroverts too can find the smartphone lifestyle addictive. “When someone sends you a message or ‘likes’ you on your smartphone, you feel ‘it’s all about me, I’m important’. You feel thrilled.”

She stressed that face to face interactions are important as “human beings are basically social by nature,” saying people learn from expressions, body language, tone and mannerisms.

The psychologist said managing the problem of overuse was simply to practice self control. “You have to say to yourself, ‘I’ll still keep my phone and check it on and off. It’s only a gadget, you should have control over it.” Source: Gulf News