If the elders of the house spend hours on smartphones then it is a cause of great concern. But this is being seen in most of the houses in India. Elderly people have found smartphones to be a great way to spend time. But like children and young people, older people have also become addicted to it. The situation is such that parents above 50 years of age remain engaged in games like reels or Ludo for a long time. TV9 on this topic Dr. Megha Aggarwal (Consultant Psychiatrist, Kailash Deepak Hospital) Had an exclusive conversation with. Experts say that this is good to some extent for elderly people living alone, but if this is happening the whole day then it is a cause for great concern.
Ludo game, videos on reels and calling on WhatsApp should be used within limits only. Watching short videos reduces stress but spending too much time on it makes the brain more sick. Let us tell you through experts how dangerous it is.
What did the expert say
Dr. Megha Aggarwal says that there is no need to panic every time you see an elderly person spending too much time on the phone. Sometimes using the phone can be good for their brain. For example, if they are playing Ludo with family or friends, talking to relatives on video call, using WhatsApp or learning a new app, then their mind remains active. Especially for those who stay alone at home for a long time, the phone also makes them feel connected to people.
When do the problems start?
Experts say that when the phone becomes their only work for the whole day, then the problem starts increasing. Like just watching reels for hours, skipping walks, not talking to anyone at home or sleeping very late at night while using the phone. Then it starts affecting their health.
Too much scrolling reduces the body’s activity, can disturb sleep and can also make it difficult to concentrate. Many times people are continuously watching content, yet they start feeling lonely or irritable.
digital dementia
Nowadays the word digital dementia is also heard. But this is not an official medical disease or diagnosis. This word is usually used when due to excessive dependence on the screen, there is difficulty in attention, memory or focus and the person does not use the brain in other ways.
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Therefore there is no need to snatch the phone completely. A little Ludo, video calls and watching useful things can be good. Just keep in mind that they should also take walks, meet people, sleep on time and also keep doing such things which keep both body and mind active.
not sleeping properly
With increasing age comes less sleep. If you are addicted to phone even after growing old, then your sleep pattern can get seriously disturbed due to this. The blue light of the phone reaches the brain from the eyes and the production of melatonin hormone starts decreasing. The role of this hormone is important in inducing sleep. If it is less, then sleep will come late or you will open your eyes repeatedly at night. If insomnia occurs, heart health becomes weak and memory is adversely affected.
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