Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Young people addicted by late night digital technology are increasingly at the risk of permanent health damage, warn experts.
They said, the main effects of the addiction are neurological, headache, memory loss and sleeping disorder.
“Addiction by late night digital technology, especially smart phone, has led to excessive “brain heating,” depression, sleeping disorders and other health problems,” Prof Dr Md Abdul Hye, a Neurologist, told The New Nation yesterday.
He said, teenagers are more dedicated to their phones and tablets than adults. They are spending hours on smart phones to explore the virtual world at late night. This practice is making them unhappy, lonely and depressed.
“Use of night digital technology can also case them to suicide,” said Prof Hye.He said parents should not allow digital devices in bedrooms of their teenage sons/ girls who use their smart pones for sending email, texts and playing games from bed in the night.
“This can help avert risk from their permanent health damage,” he noted.
“Teenagers’ sleeping quality and mental health are at risk over late-night mobile phone use,” Prof Dr Jhunu Shamsun Nahar,” Chairman, Department of Psychiatry of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, told The New Nation yesterday.
She said, youngsters are particularly at risk because their immune systems are less robust and are still developing.
“There should be “physical boundaries” on the use of such devices in the bedroom to prevent harm,” said Dr Shamsun Nahar.
“Phones disrupted sleep in two ways, with the bright light from screens disrupting natural circadian rhythms, and messages received before sleep spiking “cognitive and emotional arousal,” Prof Dr AHM Mustafizur Rahman, a Psychiatrist, told The New Nation yesterday.
He said the outcomes of disrupted sleep on teens are lower self-esteem, feeling moody, externalising behaviours and less self-regulation, aggressive and delinquent behaviours.
“The levels increase as sleep problems increased,” he said.
Education was the best prevention, he said, and it was most effective if it began before children were given their first mobile phone.
Prof Mustafizur Rahman also said that it is important for families to talk about digital technology and how much is good, how much is tolerable, when does it start to harm sleep and many other things of a teenagers.
Jasmine Parvez, who’s lone son is addicted by smart pone, told The New Nation, “My son is using the devise late at night to send texts to his friends and chat them in social media. He used to do so every night, even locking the door of his bedroom.
“Even he does no reply to my call for dinner. Most of the time he reply I will take the meal later,” said Jasmine.
In the morning I see his foods reaming in the dining table, as he did not eat his meal. He used to sleep long hour during daytime again missing his breakfast and varsity classes.
“Every time he wakes up at the noon with depressed mood. And his health was in bad condition. When we asked to leave his late nigh duty, he became angry and reply I am now adult and it’s my right to use the devices. We are now worried about his health and future,” she said.
