Culture

Having a regular meditation practice, while focusing on eating healthy foods, movement and getting a minimum of 7.5 hours of sleep, can help us feel more balanced and better able to handle stress caused by technology.

TECH EFFECT #2: A disconnect in our relationships

ALEX LICKERMAN, MD: Like anything else, the Internet can be both good and evil. There’s a tremendous amount of educational material, but it can also be a black hole and suck you in, completely disconnecting you from life. It’s way too soon to say digital technology is causing depression, but it might be correlated.

WARREN: Digital technology can also manifest in cyber bullying, meanness and hostility. With kids, there’s the issue that they don’t even know how to question [what they read online]. The suicide rate is up 70 percent for white kids and 77 for black.

LICKERMAN: It’s very easy to hide behind digital media, to avoid negative emotions such as having a difficult conversation. Being anonymous [on social media] also gives people the license to say things they wouldn’t otherwise say. There’s no shame involved, which ordinarily would regulate behavior; you’re unable to see the immediate effects of your vitriolic tweet. When you’re communicating digitally, you can’t communicate sarcasm, nuance or tone and that leads to tremendous miscommunication. If you were in the room together, there would be a level of respect.

WARREN: It’s really sad how much we see this among the adult population, people writing things they would never say out loud.

HEATHER SENIOR MONROE: I think that digital technology can be a great tool, but it should in no way replace authentic connection between humans. Unfortunately we’ve taken that tool as more of a lifestyle and connection replacement. We’re seeing higher levels of depression, low selfesteem and ADHD, to name a few issues.

HOW TO REBOOT

SENIOR MONROE: As human beings, we’re biologically hardwired for connection. A baby, while being held, actually releases endorphins and dopamine and all these chemicals that tell us that connecting with a human being is necessary for survival and safety. With disconnection, it releases cortisol and adrenaline, which teaches our body to get back to that connection. The way that you can create empathy and connection is with face-to-face quality time. Instead of texting for an hour, plan to meet up with a friend.

LICKERMAN: My rule of thumb is, if it’s a tough conversation to have, have it in person. And don’t ever say anything on digital media that you wouldn’t say in real life.

SENIOR MONROE: If you want to do a digital detox and erase your apps, go for it. But another thing we can do is to set limits on how much screen time we have per day. Become mindful of how you feel, and if your mood dips, then you know it’s too much. Maybe 10 minutes is too much, let’s try for five next time. You can set an alarm, or there are apps that track how much time you’re spending; Instagram and the iPhone have a weekly summary of the hours you’ve spent. I also think it would be great to get friends involved and start a challenge, to see who can spend the least amount of time on their devices. Powering down your phone, especially if you don’t need it, is another smart idea, say, if you’re going to spend a few hours with your kids.

TECH EFFECT #3: Weight gain

SENIOR MONROE: Weight gain can be a side effect of too much screen time because it leads to a more sedentary lifestyle. [Excessive screen time] can also

HOW TO REBOOT

SENIOR MONROE: Take breaks during the day. Instead of looking at your phone, go for a walk or call a friend. There are so many other things we can be doing rather than sitting on our couch for a weekend.

TECH EFFECT #4: Poor sleep quality

SENIOR MONROE: Our minds need a wind-down period to go to sleep, and looking at a screen keeps us stimulated. When you get off your screen, you’re feeling less than, which is not a feeling that promotes melatonin production.

WARREN: When you and I look outside, the sun has yellow light that helps to regulate our circadian rhythm. But blue light [from a screen] is a humaninvented thing and can mess with our rhythm and impair sleep.

HOW TO REBOOT

SENIOR MONROE: Invest in a separate device like an alarm clock that helps you wake up, and give yourself that 40 minutes to focus on self-care before you look at your phone.

Editor’s recommendation: A quality pair of blue-light–blocking glasses can work wonders, protecting your peepers from strain and dryness, as well as headaches. We love the BLUblox BluLite range, which stylishly filter out harmful blue light. Need more help winding down? The Sleep+ line also filters out green light, which helps the body produce melatonin (blublox.com).

TECH EFFECT #5: Neck issues

MARY KATE CASEY, PT, DPT: The average human head weighs approximately eight to 10 pounds. With an increase in neck flexion—i.e., looking down at your device—it can feel like your head weighs 27 pounds at 15 degrees of neck flexion, 49 pounds at 45 degrees of flexion and a whopping 60 pounds with 60 degrees of flexion. This strenuous load

HOW TO REBOOT

CASEY: Position your device or computer at eye level to avoid excessive stress and load to the head, neck and shoulders. While working, sit upright with an awareness of your body positioning; make sure to support the natural curvature of the spine, head and neck. Try to avoid prolonged periods of work and static postures by taking a break every hour or doing a few stretches.

TECH EFFECT #6: Low-back pain

CASEY: The increase in device use can cause “creep,” or excessive stretching of the passive structures of our skeletal system, and poor mechanical loading on the joints and ligaments of the spinal column. Weakness through the glutes, core and scapular stabilizers can often lead to stiffness and poor mobility and stability during daily activities.

HOW TO REBOOT

CASEY: Try postural exercises, such as squeezing your shoulder blades together, and chin tucks to align your head and neck.

TECH EFFECT #7: Elbow, wrist and thumb tendonitis/arthritis

CASEY: While we don’t often think of daily activities as simple as texting or typing as the cause of our injuries [that’s not always the case]. Prolonged use of small muscles and poor positioning can often lead to mechanical overload and overuse of muscles and tendons.

HOW TO REBOOT

CASEY: To avoid tendonitis, think about proper positioning of your wrists and elbows and maintain upright posture. If you have a flare-up of the wrist or thumb pain, wearing a brace is a great way to manage the symptoms when you are unable to eliminate or reduce your activity. H