Electronics can be useful for a multitude of reasons such as communication, school work, entertainment, etc., but how harmful can they really be? Studies show that spending all your time on electronics can result in an increase in obesity, aggression, sleep problems, and quite possibly mental health problems. According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, teenagers and children on average spend at least four hours on just watching t.v. That doesn’t even include the time spent on the computer, phones, or video games. According to researcher Douglas A. Gentile, an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University, “Teens with mental health issues may turn to video games for relief, but then become addicted to playing, causing social, academic and emotional problems that may last well into adulthood. In some cases, teens become so addicted to video games that they can become isolated and depressed.”

Not only are there health problems involved with electronics, but there are also safety problems that follow. It is no mystery that we have millions of people who text and drive. Not only is it irresponsible, it can harm you and/or others around you. The National Safety Council statistics report that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes each year. It’s insane how millions of people die each year because they’re too addicted to their electronics that they can’t take their eyes off them.

Electronics, of course, are extremely useful to us as a society, but too much can impact us in a negative way. There are so many dangers that come along with excessive amounts of time spent with our faces glued to our devices. Just spending some of your free time each day away from the electronics can benefit everybody in an extremely healthy way!