The Danger of Prolonged Exposure to Electronic Devices
Device on focus: Netbook and Smartphone
Have you felt a sharp pain from your head to ears?
Have you experienced a back pain from your neck and run down to the tip of your back bone as you try to lay back on your bed?
If your answer is yes, you might try reducing your exposure to your electronic devices. There are many articles posted related to this topic. Studies showed evidence of extreme dangers in prolonged use of these devices. Although the subject of the experiment is flies, I believe the theory is applicable to humans. I think my experience can encourage others to limit their exposure to these devices to avoid their negative effects.
My eyesight was really good before my college life became harsh. My main goal as I entered the realm of Mindanao State University - Marawi City is to graduate early. I hate school like an enemy. I want to be away from those four corners of the rooms because they suffocate me.
I feel like I’m in prison when I’m in a classroom. Going to school gives me anxiety every time. The thought of sitting on a hard chair for an hour (or more) and whether my name will be called by the professor makes me want to stay in my bedroom.
But I need to finish college no matter what because I’m probably dead if I refuse to get a bachelor degree. My fear of my parents’ negative reaction to my choice caused damages to my well-being, but I refused to become a victim of misery. I chose to forget all the negativities and decided to focus on positivity. Positive thoughts brought optimism within me.
I became more determined to study and finish my course as soon as I could. My determination made me forget about the importance of health. It often made me focus on my Samsung netbook (a small version of laptop) researching, reading or encoding a marketing plan and other college requirements. When I’m in focus, time is not really important to me, that I cannot think “how many hours have passed?”.
To stop before I feel or cannot endure the pain is what I avoided. For the first time, I experienced extreme back pain because of hours facing my netbook with a wrong posture. That was the first time I felt like a high voltage electricity ran from my neck to the tip of my back bone and it stayed there for a minute or more. There were countless times I experienced severe eye pain and headache because I chose to ignore the time limit of exposure to harmful lights emitted by computers and mobile phones. My only aim is to be free from the school system, and that can only be achieved in a short time if I don’t fail in any subject.
Unfortunately, I failed in a subject that is very crucial to enroll subjects for higher years and got an INC (incomplete). I’ll be left behind if I can’t pass those subjects within that semester, so I studied tirelessly. In my four years in college, I spent most of my time in front of a computer or my phone. During the day, I might be watching movies (mostly funny kdramas or korean variety shows like Running Man) if I don’t have a class or if I don’t feel like going to school (yes, I absent classes too especially if I don’t like the way the professor teach or I did not sleep well the other night). I read the university’s policies and counted my absences to avoid being dropped from my subjects. At night, I do or finish the projects assigned by the professors or study hard if there’s a scheduled quiz, oral recitation or exams. Sometimes, I study in advance too. I have downloaded free pdfs (electronic books) directly related to most of my subjects, and I look at them when I’m confused with the handouts I have photocopied.
My computer and smartphone took a very big role when I was in high school, college and until today. I am not an active social media user, but I am an information seeker. I use these devices to learn new things or broaden my knowledge on important matters. Learning and creating makes me happy. I became addicted to those activities that I forgot about my body. There were times I almost collapsed while walking to attend a class.
When I was in my third year in college, I often felt pain from my head tomy eyes and I got dizzy. There were many times I felt like I had to vomit or I really vomited. When I went home after that semester, I went to a doctor and got eyeglasses because my eyesight deteriorated. I am now near sighted and I need to wear eyeglasses with a grade of 70 on both eyes. After graduation, I relaxed and limited my use of those devices. I never knew that approach is effective. The grade of my lenses did not increase until I started working for a private company. The determined and optimistic side of me was activated and I became restless. I work day and night and even when I sleep, my thoughts are still about my work (it's my first job and I don't want to screw up). My exposure to my electronic devices increased and that also led to a rise of grade to my lenses. On my last check a year ago, it rose by 30 making it 100.
I did some experiments to see what is the main cause of my headache, eye pain and dizziness. I found out that the light from the sun and my electronic devices are the culprit. My first eyeglasses have anti-radiation but I still get headache and eye pain even in a short time of exposure to sunlight and my devices. The only difference from not wearing it is just a clearer vision. I got eyeglasses with photochromic lenses and anti-radiation. It helped me endure the negative effects of prolonged electronic device usage and exposure to sunlight, but reduced usage of those devices and rest is the most practical solution to the damages they cause.
Every living creature has the capacity to heal itself naturally. A cut can close and heal without medicine. Grasses and trees that seem dead can regrow and thrive with the help of rain. Even a seed that looks dead may become a tree and bear multiple fruits that can feed many creatures without unnatural intervention.
