All posts tagged: phone addiction

Officers On A Welfare Check Relieved To Discover Elderly Woman Playing Video Game

Officers On A Welfare Check Relieved To Discover Elderly Woman Playing Video Game

Published by Jenni Sidey

We all have our vices, spending our free time totally engrossed in fun that we forget the world around us. Being elderly doesn’t make anyone immune to those activities, either.  Case in point, a 91-year-old Westlake, Ohio resident. When she didn’t answer any of her calls throughout the day, including her daily check-in, a welfare check was requested. It turns out, one of her newfound obsessions, a game on her phone, was distracting her.  Police were relieved when they caught the 91-year-old woman playing a video game on her phone. The concern began on April 9th, when the Westlake resident did not answer her daily check-in phone call, which was programmed through an automated system designed to send daily calls to vulnerable residents.  The system alerted a dispatcher, who also could not reach the woman. After contacting her daughter, who claimed that her mom should be home, the dispatcher sent police to her residence to conduct a welfare check. However, the police found a similar result when knocking on her door: no answer.  SHVETS production | Pexels …

Research Warns Popcorn Brain Is Affecting People Who Scroll On Their Phone For Hours A Day

Research Warns Popcorn Brain Is Affecting People Who Scroll On Their Phone For Hours A Day

Published by Jenni Sidey

Anyone who spends more than two hours a day on their phone will notice their brain change over time, and not in a good way. Unfortunately, one study found that the average American spends over five hours a day on their phone, so most of us are feeling the effects. Even those who are the best at setting their devices aside to get things done have experienced that feeling that says you simply need to pick up your phone. It’s great at distracting us when we desperately need to focus on something else. Research shows that the desire to hop from one app to another is actually affecting your brain in a pretty deep way. People who use their phone for over two hours a day are likely experiencing a phenomenon called ‘popcorn brain.’ The first person to use the term “popcorn brain” was University of Washington computer scientist David M. Levy, PhD. He defined that as “being so hooked on electronic multitasking that the slower-paced life offline holds no interest.” Ivan S | Pexels …

3 Odd Side Effects Of People Who Keep Their Phone On Do Not Disturb All Day

3 Odd Side Effects Of People Who Keep Their Phone On Do Not Disturb All Day

Published by Jenni Sidey

Smartphones are designed to demand our attention. Every vibration and sound draws us back into the endless stream of messages, updates, and alerts, and it’s no surprise that some people are fighting back by switching their phone to “do not disturb” and leaving it that way. While this solution seems simple, research suggests that muting your notifications can change how your brain reacts to the device. When the alerts stop coming in, some start to notice strange psychological effects that they would’ve never anticipated. Here are 3 odd side effects that people who keep their phone on ‘do not disturb’ all day end up dealing with: 1. Phantom notifications Dragana Gordic | Shutterstock Even when people have “do not disturb” turned on, they may feel like their phone buzzed or dinged when it actually didn’t. It’s called phantom vibration syndrome, and it’s considered a form of tactile hallucination. Your brain is conditioned to learn a habit loop where you get a notification, check your phone, and receive a social reward or information. Over time, your …