The age of digital usage has advanced our generation much further than even Gen Z. Everything is accessible online, even university classes at Penn State.
Despite the exponential and continuously growing success of immediate communication and response, there has been a startling correlation with mental illness prevalence. This prevalence not only affects older individuals in their 20s but extends into generations as young as ten years old.
According to Mental Health America, half of 11-17-year-olds have had thoughts of suicide or self-harm. While this statistic in itself is alarming, it is even more shocking to see the effects the past year has had on mental illness. As of September 2020, anxiety rates were up 634%, and depression rates were up 873%.
While mental health is a very multifaceted subject with many causes and risks, strides must be made to limit the growing diagnoses. An easy way to improve well-being is making those efforts to limit your phone usage.
While apps like Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter keep us connected, they also have led to worsening self-esteem. It is easy to overlook the effect of phones, especially since we use them every day.
Notifications cause damage to our brain through excess dopamine levels. In a study, they found that with each notification some dopamine is released. This accumulates and results in problems for the dopamine threshold, meaning that it is harder to feel normal and even harder to reach a state of pleasure.
The only way to control these effects is to avoid screens, especially notifications. You might find that you feel more at ease and relaxed if your phone doesn’t light up every minute. Of course, this may sound daunting, especially as college students who rely on their phones to stay caught up with their lives and with school assignments.
Apps like Canvas extend the school day indefinitely into our lives, and while it is unfortunate, it is one of the primary applications many schools use. You might begin to address the issue by turning off notifications in settings for unnecessary apps.
It’s tough to gauge our phones’ effects on our lives, even when we are not using them. Studies have found that you do better on exams when your phone is entirely out of the room, not just put away in a bag. There is only so much attentional capacity we have; wouldn’t you rather use it on the exam you have been stressing over?
Another more straightforward step you can take to help your brain and help yourself is to hide apps that might trigger a negative emotional response from you. For instance, Instagram is an informative but easily toxic application. It is a breeding ground for downward comparison that leads to issues in confidence and perceptions of yourself. You might find that not seeing it readily available decreases your urge to open the app.
As a college student involved in many different activities, I understand how hard it is to limit device usage. However, you have to do what you can to spare your mind and prioritize your well-being.