According to research compiled by Ooma, there are a lot of adverse effects to prolonged smartphone use that may have gone unnoticed by avid users. From digital eye strain and poor posture to hand pain and headaches, these little devices are making it hard to justify checking Facebook every 20 minutes. Particularly when you know you aren’t going to have any more notifications. What’s worse is that the physical effects of prolonged smartphone use aren’t even the biggest problem. As the data shows, the psychological impact of using your smartphone on such a regular basis is similarly negative. The constant stream of photos is fundamentally altering our perception of the world, while being constantly available has stopped anyone from feeling comfortable in the moment. This creates a general discomfort when it comes to the pressure of time and mind bogglingly short attention span. The biggest problem, however, is that this technology has erupted in popularity so fast that scientists and researchers are still figuring out the lasting effects. The first iPhone was launched less than 10 years ago, a paltry research window to say the least. And with technology evolving faster and faster every day, it may be hard to get any accurate data before the next big thing ends up in your pocket.
