From losing money to becoming narrow-minded

GP reveals how spending too much time on social media is ruining your life

We live in an age where social media rules our lives, making it hard to take our eyes off of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Some users have been driven to the edge of depression, plagued by low self-esteem due to their 'addiction'.

Experts have branded the damaging effects of too much screen time as 'digital fragmentation syndrome' (DFRAG). It causes a catalogue of symptoms, which dozens of scientific papers have found strike those addicted to their phones and gadgets.

Dr Imran Rashid, a GP who works at Aleris-Hamlet Private Hospitals, Denmark said: 'Millions of people are experiencing this new form of digital pollution.' Dr Rashid reveals the 10 ways spending too much time on your smartphone is ruining your life.

1. Lack of meaningful relationships

Dr Rashid believes that while living in a high tech time, we are not physically touching each other enough. This leads to a lack of emotional relationships as the level of the hormone oxytocin drops. Often referred to as 'the cuddling hormone', oxytocin is strongly involved the process of bonding and building trust as it is raised during biological processes such as childbirth, breastfeeding and sex.

2. More stress

The constant need to check calls, notifications, texts, social media and emails keeps the adrenal glands in a constant state of agitation, and the fight or flight stress response triggered. Dr Rashid said: 'We know that being on social media causes reduced ability to recover from stress, which is measurable with the body's levels of stress hormone, cortisol. Studies have found that if you are reading a book rather than scrolling on social media, your cortisol levels decline faster. These cortisol spikes lead to an avalanche of issues including high blood pressure, increased heart rate and anxiety.'

3. Bad parenting

Dr Rashid said that parenting skills could be negatively impacted if the parent is constantly distracted by their phone. With technology always in the way, a parent could be less in sync with their child's cues and misinterpret their needs. The child will also pick up their habits. 'Children do what they see you do. If you show them that being in a relationship means being distant and constantly distracted by a screen, that becomes their model for relationships.' And it won't just be their relationships that struggle - children who used screens more than two hours a day had lower cognitive skills in research last year.

4. Poor sleep

Scrolling on your phone too much may leave you struggling to get shut-eye, according to a 2017 study by the University of Pittsburgh. 'The blue light emitted by electronic screens tricks our brains into thinking it's still daytime. And then we don't produce enough of the sleep hormone melatonin to fall asleep quickly and get high-quality sleep.'

5. No empathy for others

You may be more selfish if you are addicted to your phone. In the US over the last 20 years, empathy score has gone down by 40 per cent in high school children, a University of Michigan study showed. The sharpest drop occurred after 2000, which experts believe to be linked to the rise of the internet. 'One of the issues is that eye-contact is a necessity to show and develop empathy. If too much of your social interaction becomes faceless, you could miss out on the ability to detect social cues like body language, facial expressions and more.' Another explanation could be due to a growing need of confirmation and strong friendships online, therefore diminishing your empathy for those around you. 'Removing empathy from a democracy is turning it into a collective of selfish people.'

6. Unable to resist bad temptations

Over time, using your phone too much can make you unable to resist tempations. 'If you can't say no to your phone, your ability to say no - your impulse control - is being reduced.' This could lead to indulging in bad habits. Impulse control is important for building long term plans, maintaining relationships or saving money. 'Better health, grades and relationships are linked to the ability to defer instant gratification.'

7. Laziness

Constant use of technology can make your brain 'give up' on decision making and always choose the easy option. Dr Rashid explained that being online for long periods gives us little doses of dopamine, a chemical in the brain that contributes to pleasure. With so many releases of the natural high, you tire out the parts of the brain which are used to make decisions. 'You then tend to make the decisions that are "go with the flow" instead of using rational examination,' Dr Rashid said. 'When you are constantly overwhelmed with choices it gives you a mental overload. Your brain's ability to keep on choosing declines slowly until "it gives up" and just goes for the basic, easy and habitual behaviour.' This can be demonstrated by the fact people are more likely to pick up their phone than a book.

8. Spending more money

You may have noticed adverts on your Facebook for things you would consider buying. This is what large companies use to grab your attention as you mindlessly surf online. The more a company can keep you glued to your screen - the more online shopping is fueled. These are based on algorithms, user interfaces and science of the brain. 'The best customers are the ones who can't control their impulsive behaviour or resist a deal.'

9. Low self esteem

'Instagram will affect your self-esteem and Facebook makes you obsessed about other peoples' opinion about you,' Dr Rashid said. Research has often found that people who are always viewing other's lives on social media can end up with crippling low confidence. Those who scroll through Facebook have higher levels of depression, one study found.

10. Narrow-minded

Algorithms on social media apps are made so that people form groups - such as Instagram's explore page showing content you may like. 'When you go to any platform, the chances of you meeting anyone that isn't like-minded is very low,' Dr Rashid said. 'That creates a view of the world that is heavily biased towards the same opinions as you. It can disturb your view. You talk to the same people and hear the same views of the time.'

Dr Rashid uses Brexit an example: 'No one ever expected this. But that's because they couldn't see outside their bubble. They tried to see how it would work through social media, not realising they were stuck in what is called an echo effect chamber.'