What excessive screen time does to the adult brain

Reading can absolutely have an impact on the eyes. Close distance reading as well as lack of natural light seem to be conditions that can favor e.g. myopia.

Well, I can feel it. It's subtle but especially in comparison to screen-less activities I can _feel_ that I am doing something that impairs my mental health. (Doom) scrolling, binging on youtube etc.

> Rather than looking at our phones upon waking, Loeffler recommends starting each morning looking at the horizon or an object outside and far away.

Looking at the sky - okay. But looking at the horizon? That's a bit unrealistic. I'd argue that you could also have a plant. And the first thing you do after waking up is watering it and checking its health. Just as an idea for folks like me who can't see the horizon from their apartment.

> Since the eyes are directly connected to the brain

The eyes are actually a part of the brain.

> This rule suggests that individuals look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes of the day.

This is one of those totally ridiculous health rules. Not even worth talking about it. My suggestion would be to embrace a more dynamic work style. I'm working in front of a computer - technically for 8 hours a day. But I'm walking around _all_ _the_ _time_. Not because I think I should - but because it just feels right.

> This study found that excessive screen time can hinder sleep, especially when looking at screens late at night.

This I can confirm 100%. I don't even think that the screen's light is the biggest issue. For me it's more the content I tend to read and consume lying in bed, half-tired.

> One of the biggest issues with picking up the phone right away in the morning is that when you have an object close to your face, it’s registered as a threat,” says Loeffler. “You wouldn’t want to wake up and look a bear in the face every morning. On a physiological level, it’s the same thing.

I call BS on that. There are many reasons why not to take up the phone first thing in the morning. In fact that is why I use a separate alarm-clock (no need to handle my phone right before bed time and no need to take it up right after waking up) and I put my phone into flight-mode. So, there won't even be any notifications irking me. But this theory feels like what "scientists" come up with just to come up with something.

Very shallow article but good reminder to again put a little attention to discipline around phone usage.

What's wrong with "activating your fight or flight"? I could easily see some pop-sci book being written about how activating your fight or flight boosts testosterone or makes you more aware during your next tasks or whatever. Stress that makes you anxious is correlated with some diseases, but stress that you can deal with can many times be beneficial.