Drop your smartphone, your life depends on it
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Permanent smartphone use could reduce life expectancy, according to a very serious article in the New York Times.
We already knew that intensive smartphone use had harmful effects on sleep, self-esteem, concentration, productivity and social relationships, but worse, according to the New York Times, it could completely reduce life expectancy. . If so far most of the discussions on the subject focused primarily on the release of dopamine and the addiction generated in its wake, the impact of the smartphone on cortisol would certainly be more concerning.
This hormone, produced by the adrenal glands (located above the kidneys) "plays an essential role in the balance of glucose in the blood and the release of sugar from the body's stores in response to increased demand for energy." Therefore, it causes spikes in blood pressure and influences heart rate to "react to intense physical threats," they say. However, if it is produced artificially to compensate for a source of emotional stress, its contribution can be counterproductive, even harmful.
Compulsive consultation
When smartphone use becomes compulsive, the cortisol level remains high because the hormone tirelessly relieves the feeling of stress. The causes are not lacking: unpleasant emails, notifications that cause anxiety, conflicting WhatsApp / Facebook / Snapchat chat, etc. And when cortisol is used too often to help, its ubiquity ends up becoming problematic. The New York Times mentions several possible consequences: depression, obesity, fertility problems, heart attacks, etc.
Some principles to adopt
So many good reasons to cut back on your daily use. Among the simple resolutions to apply: stop constantly "checking" your phone, on your couch or, worse still, in bed before sleeping, and opt for periods of time without a smartphone. Number of applications, reasonable use of notifications, and adoption of certain "healthy" principles, such as not checking professional emails outside of business hours.
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