Do you get depressed if you look at your smartphone too much? 10 ways to prevent

Various studies have shown that the more time you spend watching the screen of your smartphone, computer, or game (screen time), the more depressive symptoms you have.

At the University of Montreal, Canada, he verified the relationship between screen time and depression.

A secondary analysis was performed using data from a randomized clinical trial that evaluated the efficacy of personality-targeted drugs and alcohol-preventive interventions over a 4-year period. In this study, we conducted an annual survey of 7th grade students enrolled in 31 schools in the Greater Montreal area and evaluated screen time and depression for 4 years. Data were collected from September 2012 to September 2018 and analyzed in December 2018. The independent variables were social media, television, video games, and computer use. Depressive symptoms were used as outcomes and measured using the Brief Symptoms Inventory. We evaluated movement and self-esteem, and tested the hypothesis of transcendence and upper social comparison.

　Since we are verifying based on the data collected over 4 years, it may be quite credible.

　The main results are as follows.

-The subjects were 3,826 (1,798 women [47%], average age: 12.7 ± 0.5 years).
・ Depressive symptoms were increasing year by year. The average for the first year was 4.29 ± 5.10 points, and the average for the fourth year was 5.45 ± 5.93 points.
• Multi-level models, including random intercept at the school and individual levels, estimated the inter-individual and intra-individual association of screen time with depression.
There was a significant association between individuals with an increase of 0.64 units of depressive symptoms (95% CI: 0.32-0.51) with increasing time spent on social media.
A similar association was found with respect to computer use (0.69 units, 95% CI: 0.47 to 0.91).
Within individuals, an hour's increase in social media use in a particular year was associated with a 0.41 unit increase in depressive symptoms that year.
-A similar association was found on television (0.18 units, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.27).
Significant inter- and intra-individual associations between screen time and exercise and self-esteem supported the upper social comparison hypothesis.
Significant interactions between and within individuals regarding social media and self-esteem supported the spiral reinforcement hypothesis.

Well, in modern society, living without a smartphone or digital device would be too inconvenient and difficult, and depending on the type of job, many people would stick in front of the computer screen all day long.

I also work as a WEB designer, so I spend every day staring at my computer and smartphone, and even when depression develops, I think I was ready to get depressed because I was mentally weakened by looking at the screen too much. I wonder.

It's human relationships that triggered the onset of depression, which is the direct cause.
Well that's good.

If you look at your smartphone too much, you will not be able to sleep → It will lead to depression

In 2016, a group called Digital Awareness UK surveyed 2,750 students on the relationship between SNS usage frequency and sleep quality, and 45% of students checked SNS at least 10 times after going to bed. It seems that the quality of sleep tended to be poor.

Since it is a small screen, it causes eyestrain by overworking the eyes, and of course there is physical stress such as a smartphone neck that faces the screen all the time and the angle of the neck is strange, and it is not good to have a habit of looking at the smartphone after going to bed.

In the first place, it is better not to do anything extra after getting into bed, but to act like sleeping in a place called a bed.

The brain's perception that "the bed is a place to sleep" is reduced, which leads to insomnia.

Of course, there seems to be research on how insomnia leads to depression.

So it's best not to lie down in bed for a long time and do something else other than sleeping, as it will interfere with good sleep.

10 ways to reduce screen time

So, in order to get rid of the bad habit of getting into bed and messing around with your smartphone, why not try holding down these 10 points! I will introduce that.

① Do not touch your smartphone 90 minutes before going to bed

60 minutes ago is fine, but 90 minutes ago is better. Stop touching your smartphone an hour to an hour and a half ago. Before going to bed, be aware that you can tone down with less unnecessary stimulation and calm your mind. That said, you'll see your smartphone. I'm curious about SNS. so

② Limit 90 minutes before going to bed to relaxing

Get into a different habit and stay away from your smartphone 90 minutes before you go to bed. Even if it's another habit, if you play games on your computer, you don't have any children, so let's make it a habit only for activities that relax your brain and body, such as reading, meditation, and bath time .

③ Cut the blue light after the evening

Blue light is also contained in sunlight, so taking in the stimulus of blue light from the eyes creates a state of excitement in the daytime.
So blue light is not good for your health! It is said, but to be precise, it means that "blue light after the sun sets upsets the body clock, which is not good for your health" !
As you know, blue light is emitted from the screen of your smartphone or computer, so let's cut it after the sun goes down. In other words, reduce the frequency of viewing your smartphone.
If you are using an iPhone, you can set the time to reduce the blue light on the screen by setting "Settings-> Screen display and brightness-> Night Shift", so please try it.

⑤ Notice bad habits

Obviously, to break a bad habit, you need to be aware of it. It's not that SNS is bad. You should be aware that you are an SNS addict who has to check SNS constantly, and you are abandoned on your smartphone .
I'm abandoned because I'm constantly watching Twitter. Weight yourself.

⑥ Decide whether to take SNS or health

You unknowingly check SNS, your fingers move freely. I took out my smartphone to see the time, but I forgot to check the time because I saw it on Twitter! Smartphone once again ... I'm watching Twitter again! Be aware that you're doing it unconsciously.
The answer is decided whether to take SNS or take health .

⑦ Keep digital devices away

"It's bad because you have a smartphone in the first place!"
No, smartphones are a convenient tool for civilization. Smartphones are not evil. I'm not good at using tools, I'm sorry (´ ； ω ； ｀) Boo.
So, I keep physically placed to out of reach with a habit, let's reduce the SNS habit. Place it near the entrance far from the bed, or charge it at the entrance in the first place. If you leave it at the front door, you won't forget it when you go out.

⑧ Do not use your smartphone except for what you need

Smartphones are really convenient, and I have various apps installed, but be aware of the feeling that you are always using your smartphone, and try not to use it for anything other than what you need.
The main uses are email, LINE, the Internet, and SNS. I also use a map. I also use it for music players. Oh, everything is necessary. You can rely on your smartphone for photography, video recording, and youtube.
I wonder if I can cut off my smartphone ...

⑨ Insert the screen time app to recognize smartphone usage

On the iPhone, the screen time app was included by default when updating. The guy who knows the usage time of the smartphone and the usage time of each application. When you see that, please realize that " Wow! I use my smartphone too much !?" You're a smartphone crock! I'm sorry too.
If you think you're overusing it, use less.

⑩ Give yourself a reward if you follow these 9 rules

It's an incentive effect, but I don't mean to force it to a good number of 10.
If you can protect all 9 of them, you can use your smartphone for a day? Isn't that the end of the story ...

Summary

That's why I introduced 10 major operations that do not mess with smartphones, but all of them are quite difficult for SNS abandoned smartphone abandoned people. So it doesn't matter if you can't do everything. If you keep these things in mind and improve little by little, your sleep quality will improve and you will wake up the next morning.

Anyway, let's aim for smartphone addiction, recognizing that smartphones are unexpectedly degrading sleep quality and stressing . To the other in the smartphone dependent become me, "charging that there is no anxiety", that anxious that there is no charge and have the charge and addiction have also afraid of.

As I mentioned earlier, it is quite difficult to capture the screen time, so it may be necessary to train your mentality so that you can clear it.
Introducing how to train the mentality that is useful for that.

Please read it together if you like.