You’re not the only person who feels addicted to their smartphone. What if you were to take a three-day break from it, though, and your mind changed? A recent study by German academics that was published in Computers in Human Behavior indicates that a 72-hour break from your phone can drastically change how your brain functions.
The study included 25 young adults who regularly used smartphones and ranged in age from 18 to 30. Only necessary activities, such as work and communication with close friends and family, were permitted to be conducted on their phones during the experiment. Researchers performed MRI scans both before and after the phone detox to monitor the effects.
The outcomes were spectacular. The areas of the brain associated with self-control and reward processing, including the nucleus accumbens and the anterior cingulate cortex, exhibited heightened activity during the break. Due to the involvement of these regions in addiction and impulse control, frequent phone use may be influencing our brain’s functioning in ways that are comparable to those caused by substance cravings.
Though alterations were seen in brain scans, subjects did not report significant mood swings or desires for smartphones. This shows that although we may not always be aware of the effects of smartphone use, our brains may be responding to it in a certain way.
Concerns about digital dependence are becoming stronger, and the study emphasizes the advantages of taking brief pauses from technology. Taking a break from your phone, even for a few days, may be an easy method to reset your brain, according to scientists, however further research is required.
Therefore, research now supports your decision to disconnect. Perhaps your brain needs a three-day phone detox.
