Too Much Time on Social Media Likely to Cause Teeth-Grinding and Sleep Problems

Parents may start grinding their teeth when thinking about feasible ways to prevent their kids from getting addicted to social media.

The Jerusalem Post:

Tel Aviv University’s Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine carried out a new study claiming that the excessive time spent on social media or on mobile phones leads to an increased chance of pain in jaw and mouth-muscles, teeth-grinding, sleep problems, fatigue and drowsiness during the day.

About 600 participants participated in the study which included secular Jews (mostly smartphone users) and a group of ultra-Orthodox Israelis (those who use a phone without an internet connection).

Dr. Pessia Friedman-Rubin and Prof. Ilana Eli, who helped conduct the study, explained that “In today’s day and age people live with a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) and so they want to stay constantly updated and know ‘what’s new’ every moment. This need naturally creates a growing dependence on cell phones, which leads to feelings of stress and anxiety – ‘someone might write something on social media, and I’ll miss it and not be in the loop.’”

Other reports confirm that a “a mental health pandemic of depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress and even suicide” are among side effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

It looks like having a smartphone isn’t a smart move.

Maybe we should just lock women in cages?