Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1507619
Page 16 | Abby's Magazine | instagram.com/abbyshealthfood In today's world, technology consumes the majority of our waking moments. It is such a routine part of our everyday life that we probably don't even realize the impact it has on our mental and physical health. However, in recent years, health practitioners have been able to identify technology as a root cause for many symptoms of poor health and are prescribing ways for patients to moderate their tech use or use it in a healthier way. What Does Digital Wellness Mean, and Why is it Trending in 2023? Digital wellness can be defined as a way of life, while using technology, that one pursues in order to create a healthy and intentional relationship between yourself and your technology both at home and at work. Basically, just like moderating your sugar intake, you should be moderating your technology use, or at the very least being more mindful of how much time you spend on your devices. Why? Digital technology has become just as prevalent as sugar in our current modern lifestyles, if not more so, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. Technology adoption proved highly advantageous for remote work, online education, and maintaining connections with family and friends. For children, remote learning became the norm, entailing over 8 hours of daily online classes and coursework. Moreover, due to worldwide lockdowns, both young children and adults increasingly devoted hours to social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Remarkably, TikTok's user base surged by 85.3% in 2020. The convergence of COVID-related shutdowns, remote work demands, technology's natural progression, and the introduction of 5G aiming to connect everything through IoT, has created a favorable environment for both utilizing and overindulging in technology. The repercussions of this trend have spurred a wellness revolution centered around our device usage practices. Aspects of Poor Digital Health, and its Impact on Your Mental and Physical Wellbeing Unhealthy digital wellness practices impact everyone and come in many forms. Unhealthy digital consumption may look like doom scrolling through social media, infrequent breaks from your devices at work, or even unnecessary exposure to EMF radiation. Posture This may not seem like a serious issue, but the effects can be far-reaching. Research indicates that adults check their phones 50-300 times daily, with teens tripling that frequency. Our heads, weighing 10-14 pounds, experience doubled stress on the neck and upper back for every inch they're bent down, harming our physical structure. It also can change our breathing patterns which can affect our mental and physical health. Sitting in front of office screens strains the neck and back even further. Leaning or slouching while viewing screens disrupts posture. Excessive tech use curtails the need for movement, fostering prolonged sitting and sedentary behavior. This is concerning, given the importance of physical activity for health. Even with an hour of exercise, neglecting posture and movement can lead to chronic pain, compromising digital and overall wellness. Blue Light Exposure Blue light, originating from the sun's high-energy blue wavelengths during the day, enhances alertness and mood. However, excessive exposure, particularly at night by man-made sources, disrupts sleep patterns and overall health. In our screen- dominated era, heightened blue light exposure contributes to eye strain, headaches, sleep troubles, and potential health risks like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The growing trend of wearing blue light glasses and adopting blue light reduction techniques is a promising step toward better digital well-being by mitigating exposure and relieving eye strain. Technology Addiction and Social Health With the rise of devices like smartphones and tablets, technology dependency has surged. Similar to chemical addictions, using platforms like social media or playing video games triggers dopamine release, fostering cravings for attention and rewards. Additionally, face-to-face interactions are decreasing as screen time soars, eroding social and communication skills in developing children. Tech reliance, especially on social media, exacerbates tech addiction and mental health concerns, affecting nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults. Chronic technology consumption has various mental health repercussions, including anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and concentration issues. Pew Research indicates that 69% of adults and 81% of teens in the U.S. use social media, heightening the risk of anxiety and depression due to excessive usage. Research highlights that just one hour of daily screen time diminishes curiosity, intensifies distractibility, hinders relationship-building, and weakens self-control, leading to higher depression rates. EMF Exposure & 5G The nationwide deployment of 5G, the latest cellular network, commenced in 2019 and is now in full swing. While 5G promises enhanced convenience, it also raises public health and safety issues, including various health-related concerns stemming from exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMFs). EMFs include wireless radio frequencies emitted by electronic devices like laptops, computers, and WiFi routers. Notably, 5G frequencies are the highest yet and bring their own set of physical and mental health considerations. 5G network deployment can amplify your EMF exposure due to the increase in cell towers essential to facilitate higher data quantities at faster rates. With so many 5G small cell sites close by, you will be subject to higher power levels near your body. ● Sleep Issues: EMF and Blue Light have both been proven to delay the release of melatonin in your brain. Poor sleep quality can lead to a laundry list of conditions, as well as poor mental health. ● Fertility Issues: Fertility issues in both men and women have been proven in hundreds of studies to lower sperm count and