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Is it time to disconnect your Internet addiction?

Grand Forks Herald (ND) - 2/15/2015

Feb. 15--Now that people are spending seemingly every waking moment in front of a screen, it might be time to start disconnecting yourself for a certain period of time, research shows.

Technology, and in particular mobile technology, is all around us at increasingly high levels. According to a Pew study, 90 percent of American adults have a cellphone.

Kylee Heston, a clinical psychologist who now works for Lipp, Carlson, Lommen and Witucki, a local mental health clinic, said she has seen more and more people come to clinic with issues related to their devices.

Heston said the biggest problems she's seen with people and their devices are people unable to put their phones away before or during sleep. The Pew study stated that 44 percent of cellphone owners have slept with their phone next to their bed because they wanted to make sure they didn't miss any calls, text messages or other updates during the night.

Constantly checking or worrying about the phone can disrupt sleep and can overstimulate the brain, which doesn't allow the brain to relax and fall asleep as easily. Heston said she often recommends people put their devices away an hour before going to bed in order to transition into sleep better.

"What we're finding is that people aren't disconnecting from their phones before they go to bed," she said. "People are constantly checking their phones throughout the night and disrupting their sleep habits."

Phones and other devices have begun to change the way we function and the way we behave, research shows.

Americans spend an average of 7 hours and 24 minutes of screen time per day. Staring at screens that much has shown to make people less creative and productive, research from the Mayo Clinic shows.

"Nowadays, people are becoming more and more checked out," Heston said. "They're always checking their phones and not focusing on living in the moment."

Even a five-minute break every hour can greatly improve creativity and production. When a person sits for extended periods of time, there can be changes in some brain function, which could potentially cause serious issues down the road for adults or children.

Spending more time online means less time for people to socialize with others in person or other hobbies.

According to a recent article in The New Yorker, psychologists are beginning to recognize excessive amounts of time on the Internet and with devices as an addiction.

Heston said addiction may not be the correct word for it, but she said many people are too dependent on having their phones and other devices with them at all times.

"So many times, people let their phones and devices control their lives," Heston said. "It takes them away from being present in their own lives."

Unlike other forms of dependency, it is hard to explain the negative effects of excessive use of the Internet. Internet users are not losing money or causing direct harm to others as they would with a gambling or drug addiction.

"A lot of people let their devices consume their lives," Heston said.

Heston said so often, people begin to panic when their texts and calls aren't immediately returned. She said this sort of anxiety can be unhealthy and troublesome if people are constantly checking their phones.

Psychologists, including Heston, said the best way to combat dependency on devices is to step away from the computer or other devices while you're using them. It is recommended to take a five-minute break every hour or so. The break will help rest the user's eyes and increase productivity.

Staying at the computer for long periods of time can cause health risks, as people are not moving around and staring at the screen can hurt the user's eyes.

If getting up and moving around doesn't work, there are also apps and other devices that can help people take a step back from the Internet. These apps can limit the amount of time you surf the Internet or limit you from being distracted by social media sites.

Spending too much time on the Internet can also have unwanted impacts on children as well.

According to an American Academy of Pediatrics study, the average 8- to 10-year-old American child spends about eight hours per day in front of a screen, and teens may spend as many as 11 hours on devices.

Heston said she's seen people having problems with their devices in all age groups, ranging from children to adults. No matter the age, Heston said, disconnecting from the device can be beneficial to everyone.

Even if it's not before bed, Heston said she challenges her patients to step away from their devices for at least an hour each day.

"If you can put your phone away for an hour and enjoy the world, you'd be surprised at what you're missing."

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