Yarema Stasyshyn
Over the past several years, people have learned to rely on their phones for a variety of tasks. As the population grows and the phone industry continues to expand, many have had trouble knowing when to put their phone down.
More than half the country’s population use their phone before they go to sleep. In fact, 9 out of 10 Americans use some sort of “tech device.” This includes anything from cell phones, laptops, video games, and TVs. Out of all these devices, cellphones were the most used by people under the age of 30.
“I use my phone every single night before I go to sleep,” Newtown High School junior Woodson Morris said. Morris, along with many other people, rely on their phones before they go to sleep. This makes sleeping much more of a difficulty.
The use of devices keeps the brain and body from allowing itself to unwind. Without the ability to shut down, the body will not get the rest it needs. The risk of getting caught up in a game or social media post is high whenever the phone is in use. At this point it is almost impossible to put it down, leading to an inideal night of sleep.
“Every single time I open up my phone, it is for a reason and whenever I open it, I will use it for at least ten minutes before I put it down again,” NHS junior Kaelen Schmitt said.
Using a phone exposes the human body and eyes to blue light. This blue light very often interferes with the circadian rhythm. This messes up the internal clock by delaying the natural release of melatonin before humans fall asleep. The circadian clock is very closely related to sunrise and sunset each day causing the body to know when to wake up and fall asleep according to when the sun sets and rises. Cell Phones ruin the rhythm by emitting blue light into the eyes. This messes with the sleep schedule by either forcing the body to stay awake longer than it can or keeping the body from waking up in the morning because of overtiredness.
Sometimes it is not possible for certain people to put their phone down one hour before they go to sleep. Situations such as work, important calls, or any emergency could make the phone usage mandatory.
“My kids text me almost every night while I am trying to fall asleep and I have to wake myself up to answer them,” NHS staff member Marya Gaiser said.
This situation causes Gaiser to look at her phone as she's trying to fall asleep. There are indeed ways to solve the problem of exposure to blue light. There are certain apps specified to filter out the blue light the mobile phone is emitting. There are blue light glasses that protect the eyes from getting affected when any device is being used. “Everytime I want to use my phone before bed I put on my blue light glasses and they honestly help my eyes dramatically,” NHS junior Gjin Abazi said.
Abazi claims that after using his blue light glasses he feels a huge difference the next morning. These two things can single handedly fix people’s sleep schedule and bring their morning energy back.
With all this being said, Iphones do not put a long term, dangerous impact on the body. Many people falsely assume that iPhones can give humans cancer which can not be backed up by any data. In fact, the only thing a cell phone emits, is a very low level of something none as non-ionizing radiation. This harmless radiation is only known for one side effect which is heating. This only occurs after continuous use of the phone and the only way it can affect people is if they come into dirrect contact with this heat. It is completely harmless and will only cause a hot sensation on the body.
Despite the fact that Iphones do not cause any major health consequences, they still play a negative role in our everyday lives. The blue light these devices emit interrupts our circadian rhythm and prevents each person from getting the healthy sleep they need.