DIGITAL LIFE

Why could cell phones be dangerous during the pandemic?

Constant use of smartphones during confinement can affect health in several ways, as well as increasing the risk of infection by germs that accumulate on the devices, warns a Russian university professor.
The use of smartphones can be harmful in the context of the new coronavirus pandemic for physical and mental health, said Timur Sadykov, director of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at Russia's Plekhanov University of Economics, in an interview with Prime agency.

Contamination risks
Sadykov ensures that the devices become true germ nests:
"When the smartphone is constantly in the hands of its owner, it accumulates bacteria, including those capable of causing infections. In addition, the smartphone is in frequent contact with the user's face and ears."
The specialist advises systematic cleaning of the device while the current highly contagious viral infection lasts. Wipes specially impregnated with isopropyl alcohol designed to clean fabrics can be used.

Other risks
There are other possible health damages motivated by the uncontrolled use of smartphones, tablets and computers, namely problems of visual acuity and posture, especially among children, warned the expert.
The psychological dependence of these media can be aggravated in a confined environment. As humans remain isolated in a limited space for a long period of time, for many people the outside world is reduced to a cell phone screen, affecting their thinking and reasoning abilities, warned Sadykov.
"Artificially imposed by the producers of digital content, the need to always be connected can lead to the development of a dependency on the increasing flow of news.
This dependence is in danger of blocking man's ability to analyze what is happening in a critical and creative way, "warned the expert, also calling attention to the fact that" one should not become a slave to electronic equipment. That was clear a long time ago, long before the world was surrounded by computer networks. "

Ria Novosti