Put the phone down

“Watch out!”

Have you ever run into something, or someone, because you were too distracted by your phone? This happens to me daily, not because I don’t put my phone down, but because of other people on the street staring at their phone. Just yesterday a man on the street walked straight into me while I was waiting at a crosswalk because his eyes were glued on his phone.

Well, it’s time to change that, because July is National Phone Courtesy Month!

Having your eyes glued to your phone constantly is not only distracting, but it’s actually detrimental to your health.

Emotional Health:

Ever heard of FOMO (fear of missing out)? It’s an actual problem. Being on social media for extended periods of time can often result in feeling left out and sad after seeing friends, family and strangers out and about doing things/buying things while you’re at home.

According to a study done in 2013 by the University of Michigan, 82 participants were monitored via text message on their moods after using Facebook. The majority of those participants’ moods were negatively affected with the more social media they used.

“The more lonely people felt at one time point, the more people used Facebook over time.”[1]

But cell phone usage can affect more than just emotional health.

Physical Health:

We’re going to take a wild guess and say you’re the type of person that carries their phone to bed with them, sends texts and likes Instagram posts for an hour and you wonder why you’re having a hard time falling asleep. Let’s face it, most of us are that type of person.

Being exposed to the blue light in your phone’s screen can actually keep you awake longer. You see, the light you’re exposed to when using a phone, laptop, tablet, is a melatonin suppressant. The longer you expose yourself to that blue light at night, the harder you may find falling asleep will be.

Insomnia and lack of sleep can lead to anxiety, weight gain, depression and even weaken your libido.

Let’s try and put our phones down more often from now on. Appreciate what’s around you and be courteous of other people and yourself!

Tweet #putthephonedown to tell us more tips on how to use our cell phones less!