According to Dr. Victoria Dunkley, excessive use of electronic screen media can have ill effects on mental health related to mood, cognition, and behavior, even to the point of hallucination.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: The medical problem associated with computer-related work is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). CTS is a stress-related injury caused by repetitive movement of joints, especially the wrist, and can lead to numerous musculoskeletal problems. It has become very common among Computer professionals due to poorly placed computer components and extensive typing over a long period of time. Computer Vision Syndrome: In many cases, frequent computer users suffer from computer vision syndrome, which is a degenerative eye problem which can result in severely reduced eyesight (Myopia), blurred vision, overall eye tiredness and even Glaucoma. Computer Eye Syndrome is an umbrella term for many problems but the causes of these problems can be easily identified. When using a computer due to the size and setup of the monitor and components it is necessary for the user to be within at least two feet of the monitor when performing any type of computational work. This presents many problems especially in older monitors due to an elevated amount of monitor glare, poor display quality and insufficient picture display refresh rates. Although these problems are more evident in older computers the newer models are not free from these problems either. Musculoskeletal Problems: Another medical issue caused by the use of computers is back and posture problems. These problems relate to musculoskeletal disorders caused by the need for the user to be crouched and hunched towards the monitors and computer components due to the design and positioning of these particular computer peripherals. This hunching forward of the user causes posture and back problems but is also the cause of severe and acute pain in the upper back, particularly pain in the neck and or shoulders. Mental Problems: Public Health England said children who spend too long on the internet face social problems such as loneliness, depression and anxiety. According to Dr Victoria Dunkley, excessive use of electronic screen media can have ill effects on mental health related to mood, cognition, and behavior -- and may even result in psychosis in the form of hallucination. She calls this "Electronic Screen Syndrome" (ESS). She claims the root of these symptoms appears to be linked to repeated stress on the nervous system, making self-regulation and stress management less efficient. She says interacting with screens shifts the nervous system into fight-or-flight mode which leads to dysregulation as an inability to modulate one’s mood, attention, or level of arousal in a manner appropriate to one’s environment. Treatment Modern medical treatment for computer-induced medical problems like carpal tunnel syndrome include splints, surgery, corticosteroids, and physiotherapy therapy. Alternative medicine for computer-induced medical problems has also been shown to be effective, notably acupuncture. Prevention Look away from the computer every 20 minutes and focus on a far away object. If you find yourself squinting at your computer, continue to lower the brightness until you no longer have to squint. Get up every 30-60 minutes of typing to do stretching exercises to prevent injury. Be mindful of your posture while on the computer. Set a time limit for working on the computer. Of course, this isn't possible if you work from home. But if you don't work from home, limit it to 1 hour per day. If you lose track of time easily, set a timer on your phone to let you know when to get off of your computer. Even better, schedule computer time while a meal is cooking so that you are forced to get up to turn the timer off and take the food off the stove and eat. This will get you off the computer. Even better, if it's possible for you, don't have Internet at home. Instead, use your computer in a cafe that offers free Internet connection in mornings while you drink your morning coffee before work. This way you can't spend a lot of time on it or you'll be late for work, and it gives you enough time to also check your emails. Something else that will greatly approve your life is quitting the computer altogether. I work from home so that's not possible for me, but it'll be possible when we have the ecovillage and are living off the land. Limit technology use and instead go out with friends, walk a dog, volunteer, go for a bike ride or a hike, go swimming, get active and out doing things and you'll never feel better than you felt in your life. Source
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