What Happens To Your Brain When You Mindlessly Scroll?
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Today we're talking about how your phone changes your brain AND body.
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Written by: Gregory Brown & Tharsan Kana
Animations by: Max Simmons
Edited by: Luka Šarlija
Resources / Further reading:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jasp.12506#:~:text=Results%20revealed%20that%20increased%20phubbing,both%20positive%20and%20negative%20affect.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/23/business/cell-phone-addiction.html
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23294345/
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/may/28/blue-light-led-screens-cancer-insomnia-health-issues#:~:text=In%20lab%20experiments%2C%20high%20exposure,%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20O'Hagan.
https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/smartphone-addiction/
https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/the-effects-of-smartphone-usage-on-the-brain/
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171130090041.htm
https://bgr.com/business/smartphone-addiction-survey-data/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9054347/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6576600/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4826767/
https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/dopamine-smartphones-battle-time/
Al-Hadidi, F., Bsisu, I., AlRyalat, S. A., Al-Zu’bi, B., Bsisu, R., Hamdan, M., Kanaan, T., Yasin, M., & Samarah, O. (2019). Association between mobile phone use and neck pain in university students: A cross-sectional study using numeric rating scale for evaluation of neck pain. PLOS ONE, 14(5), e0217231. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0217231
Allred, R. J., & Atkin, D. (2020). Cell Phone Addiction, Anxiety, and Willingness to Communicate in Face-to-Face Encounters. Https://Doi.Org/10.1080/08934215.2020.1780456, 33(3), 95–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/08934215.2020.1780456
Bartel, K., Scheeren, R., & Gradisar, M. (2018). Altering Adolescents’ Pre-Bedtime Phone Use to Achieve Better Sleep Health. Https://Doi.Org/10.1080/10410236.2017.1422099, 34(4), 456–462. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2017.1422099
Brennan, R., Jan, J. E., & Lyons, C. J. (2006). Light, dark, and melatonin: emerging evidence for the importance of melatonin in ocular physiology. Eye 2007 21:7, 21(7), 901–908. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.eye.6702597
Deloitte Insights. (2021). How the Pandemic has Stress-Tested the Crowded Digital Home. https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/articles/6978_TMT-Connectivity-and-mobile-trends/DI_TMT-Connectivity-and-mobile-trends.pdf
Eide, T. A., Aarestad, S. H., Andreassen, C. S., Bilder, R. M., & Pallesen, S. (2018). Smartphone restriction and its effect on subjective withdrawal related scores. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(AUG). https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2018.01444/FULL
Griffiths, M. (2009). A ‘components’ model of addiction within a biopsychosocial framework. Http://Dx.Doi.Org/10.1080/14659890500114359, 10(4), 191–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/14659890500114359
Inal, E. E., Demirci, kadir, Çetintürk, A., Akgönül, M., & Savaş, S. (2015). Effects of smartphone overuse on hand function, pinch strength, and the median nerve. Muscle & Nerve, 52(2), 183–188. https://doi.org/10.1002/MUS.24695
Joshi, S. C., Woodward, J., & Woltering, S. (2022). Nighttime cell phone use and sleep quality in young adults. Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 20(1), 97–106. https://doi.org/10.1007/S41105-021-00345-6/TABLES/3
Schmuck, D. (2020). Does Digital Detox Work? Exploring the Role of Digital Detox Applications for Problematic Smartphone Use and Well-Being of Young Adults Using Multigroup Analysis. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 23(8), 526–532. https://doi.org/10.1089/CYBER.2019.0578
Woo, E. H. C., White, P., & Lai, C. W. K. (2017). Effects of electronic device overuse by university students in relation to clinical status and anatomical variations of the median nerve and transverse carpal ligament. Muscle & Nerve, 56(5), 873–880. https://doi.org/10.1002/MUS.25697
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💡 Listening Tips
- 🔁 Enable looping for continuous relaxation
- 🎛️ Try the Ambient Sound Mixer to customize your experience
- 📱 Works great through phone speakers or Bluetooth
💬 What Listeners Say
"Me: mindlessly scrolling on youtube Youtube: lets make him realise"
— @drauwu 👍 10,717
"its not always "social interaction" its also just plain boredom, we so used to get entertained by our phones that we get bored so quickly and need that stimulus again"
— @Frey_64 👍 6,110
"I have managed to completely give up social media, I can’t even remember the last I got on Facebook, Instagram,and Snapchat. I feel great and I’m not even interested in going back but I still have one big addiction and that is YouTube. It’s almost im..."
— @juanguillen9409 👍 28,323
📖 How to Get the Most Out of This Audio
To fully enjoy "What Happens To Your Brain When You Mindlessly Scroll?", we recommend the following approach:
- Set the Scene: Find a comfortable position, dim the lights if possible, and minimize distractions.
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- Adjust Volume: Keep the volume at a comfortable background level - loud enough to hear, quiet enough to relax.
- Enable Loop: Click the Loop button above for continuous play during your session.
- Try the Mixer: Use our Ambient Sound Mixer below to customize the audio with additional sound layers.
This 9:24 track is ideal for relaxation, focus, sleep. With 3.4M views, it has become a trusted choice for thousands of listeners worldwide.