Jodhpur: With the number of internet users in the country crossing 80 crores and the average screen time rising to seven hours, experts and doctors have raised serious concerns about its health impacts, especially on people using the phone at night.
Doctors have repeatedly asked mobile phone users to avoid using the device at night. This is because the secretion of melatonin hormone, that promotes sleep, decreases due to added exposure to the blue light of cell phones, especially during the night. This is also why cases of insomnia, irritability and depression are on a rise among the youth.
Dr GD Koolwal, former head of the Psychiatric Department of Dr SN Medical College, said that the youth who are hooked to their mobiles throughout the night are gradually losing their patience and becoming restless. "Kids getting addicted to mobile phones will prove to be detrimental for their growth," he added.
Dr Koolwal opined that children today are almost on the verge of delving away from reality, all thanks to the excessive use of mobile phones. "The circadian rhythm (the 24-hour internal clock in our brain that regulates cycles of alertness and sleepiness by responding to light changes in our environment) is getting impacted because of this," he added.
Hormone cortisol that makes us active after we wake up in the morning also helps us manage stress. It converts protein into glucose to boost flagging blood sugar levels and works in tandem with the hormone insulin to maintain constant blood sugar levels.
By continuously getting exposed to the blue light of mobile till late night, the brain is unable to receive signals to sleep.
"In such a situation, the cortisol hormone remains active continuously, and the body considers night as day, thus hampering the sleep cycle," he added.
According to a recent survey, at least 42 per cent of kids under the age of 12 spend two to four hours a day glued to their cellphones or tablets, while older kids spend 47% of their days in front of screens.
Dr Koolwal narrated a recent case in which a mother came to him with his child for prognosis. "The patient, hailing from a small village had 11 smartphones. The mother got fed up with the child's disobedience and ignorance as he never listened to anything she said, completely glued to his cellphone," the doctor said.
In another case, a college student got desperately addicted to watching reels on the internet. "His brain turned numb after scrolling through the phone all night. He would not come out of the room and began to get irritated at the drop of a hat. He even fought with is family members frequently," Dr Koolwal added.
Parents must be careful from an early age because prevention is definitely better than cure. "Parents need to keep an eye on their kids and check what they are watching. The child's screen time must be monitored failing which their health will get impacted from an early age," the doctor said.
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