Smartphone addiction: the brain is permanently damaged!

The Dhaka Times Desk Smartphones are a big addiction of the youth today. They prefer to carry this smartphone all the time. But the researchers said, the brain is permanently damaged because of this smartphone!

With the excellence of modern technology, the whole world has now come to hand. Simply put, having a smartphone and internet connection in your hand means that you can travel the whole world in an instant. However, just like the many advantages of this smartphone, too much dependence on the smartphone is damaging you intellectually.

সম্প্রতি এমআইটি স্লোয়ান ম্যানেজমেন্ট রিভিউ-এ ইতালি ও ফ্রান্সের দু’টি গবেষণাপত্র প্রকাশিত হয়। যেখানে গবেষকরা কিছু শিক্ষার্থীকে প্রতি সন্তাহে একটি দিন স্মার্টফোন ছাড়া রেখে পরীক্ষা চালান। তাতে দেখা যায়, সামগ্রিকভাবে স্মার্টফোন ছাড়া থাকার সময়টিতে তাদের মধ্যে মানসিক অবসাদ ও উৎকণ্ঠ বেড়ে যেতো। তারা যে অতিরিক্ত সময় পেয়ে যাচ্ছেন ওই দিন, তাতে কখন কী করবেন সেই সিদ্ধান্তহীনতার কারণে দৈনন্দিন রুটিনেও গোলমাল করছিলেন তারা।

But why this mental change? A group of researchers from Korea University has shown that excessive addiction to smartphone surfing is causing some permanent changes in the brains of concerned teenagers. Due to which teenagers are suffering from diseases like depression, anxiety, excessive impulsivity, insomnia.

In a study report at the Radiological Society of North America conference, the head of the Korean research team, Hyung Suk Seo, said that with the help of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), an advanced test of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), they found that gamma-aminobutyric acid in the brains of a group of teenagers addicted to smartphones and the Internet. Acid (GABA) and glutamate-glutamine (GLX) ratios are significantly altered from normal, causing brain waves to slow down more than normal.

Essentially, GABA is responsible for the proper functioning of vision, motor nerve control, and multiple brain functions, such as anxiety and judgment.

The data provided by the Korean researchers also showed that the ratio of GABA to GLX in the anterior cingulate cortex of normal teenagers without smartphone addiction was several times higher in those with nomophobia. Depression and anxiety increase. As the amount of gaba increases, tremors and nervousness also increase. At the same time, GABA and creatine ratio and GABA and glutamate ratio are also increased than normal, so many unwanted symptoms come to the body.

The head of the research group, Hyung Sak Seo, said that although their research is on the way, in the future, it is possible to know exactly how much smartphone addiction is harming the youth. The researchers therefore advised the youth to be careful about excessive smartphone usage.