It’s easy to repair smartphones but to heal a depressed mind, is a Herculean task. People who overuse their mobile phones to browse the internet or play games need to understand that they are vulnerable to the latter in more ways than they can imagine. Depression is no joke and it can surely set in if you spend isolated time with your phone for more than 6 hours every day.
A recent study conducted by researcher Matthew Lapierre from The University of Arizona links smartphone dependency with the symptoms of loneliness and depression. The research included 346 individuals, aged between 18 and 20. Matthew Lapierre and his collaborators found smartphone dependency in these young participants brought out a higher frequency of depressive symptoms.
Lapierre explains, "The main takeaway is that smartphone dependency directly predicts later depressive symptoms." He added, "There's an issue where people are entirely too reliant on the device, in terms of feeling anxious if they don't have it accessible, and they're using it to the detriment of their day-to-day life."
This research will be published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Lapierre and his team measured the smartphone dependency by asking the participants to rate statements related to smartphone dependency, such as "I panic when I cannot use my smartphone." As of now, it’s not clear if this addiction and the symptoms of depression are mutual.
Irrespective of their mutuality, this cycle of obsession and depression can be broken if one uses healthy approaches to cope with the despair. Talk to a friend, spend more time with your family, or go on a trip with your buddies.
If none of the above work out for you and you’d rather spend time alone, it’s better to meditate in your room or hit the gym. Just make sure your mind is engaged in something productive, something less humdrum.
