Mobile phones are an important part of daily life, but excessive or uneven use can have a harmful influence on physical, mental, and social health. This cross-sectional study questioned 100 people to determine mobile phone usage trends and health consequences. The majority (70%) were young adults aged 18-24, with 53% living in cities and 66% attending school. The average daily usage was 3-4 hours (42%) or more than 5 hours (33%), with social networking, messaging, and video streaming accounting for the majority. The most common complaints were eye strain (65%), sleep difficulties (43%), headache (37%), difficulty concentrating (31%), and neck/back pain (29%). Longer daily use and phone use in bed were substantially related with greater symptom counts, although age and low-light exposure were not. Targeted awareness and instructional activities may encourage healthier and more balanced mobile phone habits.
Rao et al. (Wed,) studied this question.