If you're addicted to your computer or smartphone, you're far more likely to develop stress, according to a study out of Concordia University.
A team led by neuroscientist Najmeh Khalili-Mahani at Concordia University's PERFORM Centre had 650 people who said they were "addicted" to their smartphones, or television, or a game console, or some other device, and had them answer 60 questions on an online survey.
And she found, essentially, that those were addicted were the ones spending more time on their screens, which in turn, led to greater levels of stress.
"What we have found is that there is a direct, a rather significant link between being emotionally stressed, and being more dependent on screens for relaxation, social networking and entertainment," she says.
Whether people are addicted or not to their phones or computer screens, Khalili-Mahani noted that screen time is a way of life for most people in our society, and that the notion of screen addiction may make people feel a little guilty — which may, in turn, affect stress levels.
"People tend to think that they're screen-addicted if they're using the screen for things that are a little bit more fun or interpersonal, such as social networking or watching videos," she says, "so there seems to be a guilt factor in the subjective perception of their being addicted to screens."
Meanwhile, Khalili-Mahani also suggests that people may be using their phones or TV screens, sometimes successfully, to reduce stress — though she suggests that idea may be something to study in the future.
The idea behind the study is to develop e-tools to help those dealing with screen addiction.
The study was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.