How can you tell if a teenager is currently using a cell phone, a computer, a tablet or a laptop? Check if he's breathing. Unfortunately, that joke has stopped being funny. It is now known that overuse of tech toys can have serious consequences on your heath.

What kind of consequences?

Scientists raise alarm: we've got a generation deformed by the miracles of technology. However, letting the youngest have such an easy access to new technologies is not the issue. The real problem is the fact that they spend too much time using them. According to research by Polish TNS: an average Polish teenager spends approx. 2.5 hours a day in front of a computer (a total of 37 days a year!), but - beware - he also watches television and is basically "connected" to his mobile phone at all times; at school, while he eats and it's right by his head prior to falling asleep. Interestingly in Poland and the UK as well (in comparison with the rest of Europe), 83 percent of youngsters are mobile users which is the highest rate (in other countries it's at approx. 73 percent)! Parents are happy that their children are able to use electronic  devices - says Beata Szymczyk-Hałas, a pediatrician from Medicover - Very often they are the ones who play videos on their phones for their infants to keep them occupied. And the later the child learns how to spend time on a mobile phone or a computer, the better for his development - says the doctor. There is still no reliable data, whether and how harmful the radiation emitted by phones and computers really is, although some physicians alert that we are in serious danger of mass cancer invasion. If this proves to be true, then unfortunately young people would turn out to be the most vulnerable. But even if the damage caused by radiation is just a myth, the list of problems, caused by the use of a cell phone or a computer, is very long. Last generation, only, still used to spend their free time outside, biking, where as now teenagers spend hours upon hours in front of the computer screen, moving just the fingers, which is contrary in their active nature.

What might be the consequences of this lifestyle ?

Severity of nearsightedness

● During long hours of focusing eyes only on the computer screen, which strains eye muscles,  influences an early disclosure of short-sightedness and its severity - ophthalmologists say. The earlier a child develops such a defect, the more severe it will become in the future, and he will need to wear glasses for the rest of his life . Thus, it's better to exercise your eyes, look into the distance.  A teenager, whose eyes are glued to the screen, rarely blinks which is the reason his eyeballs aren't sufficiently moistened. As a result, tingling and burning occur, as well as so called "sand" under the eyelids.

"Texting thumb"

● according to American data, an average teenager writes more than 130 text messages daily! Polish teenagers aren't far behind, as well. As a result, orthopedists predict a defect caused by the excessive use of the thumb (which in the US has adapted a name of "Nintendoitis" from the popular brand that produces consoles and video games). This defect would result in tense muscles and distortion of the thumb in an unnatural way.

Curvature of the spine - "Gameboy Back"

● Danish orthopaedists warn about another new disease called "Gameboy Back" or " iPosture "  - increasingly, we observe those in children between 8 and 18 years of age: that is a threat for the teenager who sits by his computer for hours with his head bowed down and abnormally curved spine in the cervical and thoracic part of it - notes Dr. Szymczyk-Hałas. - The number of scoliosis cases has also increased (lateral curvature of the spine) as well as kyphosis (excess curvature  in the upper back), which could be prevented by exercise. According to research done in Łódź (Polish city), up to 95.6 percent of children were diagnosed with a faulty posture which- if untreated - will become severe. It is therefore important to detect irregularities during developmental screenings and refer children to orthopaedists.

Mass obesity

● Being stuck for hours in one position and the access to favorite (read: unhealthy ) snacks make more and more children potentially diabetic and cardiac cases. It has never been this bad before: in Poland, nowadays, 1 in 5 boys and 1 in 7 girls suffer from obesity. Most often, boys from rich homes who attend primary schools are exposed to it. As well as only children who have got a TV and a computer connected with the Internet in their bedroom.

Difficulty sleeping

● Children and adults, who use laptops, tablets and smartphones just before going to sleep, complain of sleeping problems. The main cause for that would be the blue light, emitted by those devices, which imitates daylight, deceiving the brain that it is not yet bedtime. This in turn inhibits production of melatonin, which guards our sleep patterns. - In extreme situations, with frequent sleep interruptions caused by late night, incoming text messages  - as well as going to sleep late and attempts to sleep it all off during the weekend - the delayed sleep phase occurs (DSPS ), which is a syndrom of chronic changes in the sleeping and waking patterns - says Dr. Szymczyk-Hałas. - And that requires help of a psychologist and a psychiatrist. Therefore, it is important to disable the screen at night, and at least 2 hours prior to going to bed. It is better to read a book, because the light from a lamp is not that harmful.

Nomophobia

● The name stands for "no mobile phone phobia" and means fear of losing your mobile phone. It sounds quite funny, but according to British scientists it is not that amusing. As much as 66 percent (a few years ago it was 53 percent) of cell phone owners panic when they cannot find their devices. So called young adults( 18-24 years) are most addicted, teenagers (13-17) take the third place here. Suffering from nomophobia can happen especially to those who maniacally check whether they received any new text messages or e-mails and are not capable of temporarily turning off their phones; hey take them even to the bathroom, and sleep with them, as well. In Poland, one in three teenagers does that.

Problems with fertility in adulthood

● A lot of doctors admit that by keeping the laptop in your lap for many hours could reduce male fertility, because it heats up your genital area which leads to disruption of spermatogenesis and results in impaired sperm activity. An increase of 1,2°C reduces sperm production by tens of percent, while laptop cover heats up even up to 40°C. Just in case, it is better not to keep your laptop in your lap, but on the desk or a special, portable table, and as far as cell phones go - carry those in your bag, not in your pocket.