Our Phones are Changing our Bodies

Social media addiction also changes our neurochemistry: our slumped posture produces cortisol; the backlit phone and blue light can suppress melatonin (needed for sleep); and a recent study with “hard-core gamers showed gray-matter atrophy in the right orbitofrontal cortex, bilateral insula, and right supplementary-motor areas of the brain.

These parts of the brain are related to impulse control, planning, organization, and even compassion.” Our phones are literally changing our bodies, our sleep and stress levels, and our ability to connect empathetically with others. I try to keep…